Nosgoth's White Phantom
by SpaceWyvern
Summary: A girl from the real world is pulled into Nosgoth through her Playstation. Can she make it back to her home, or will she decide to stay? WARNING: It's a BIT of a slash, but with my own characters, nothing graphic. !COMPLETE!
1. The Start

"Lizz! Stop playing that game!" a highly annoyed voice screamed from the top of the basement stairs.

"Shut up, Becca! I've been working all morning!" another voice screamed back.

And indeed, Lizz had been working all morning. Taking care of the dogs, taking out the trash, cleaning the bathroom and vacuuming the basement. If that's not work, then what is?

Lizz was lounging in the rec room of her family's ranch house. It was summer, and no one in their right mind would go out into Nebraska heat in the middle of the day. Except maybe Becca, who would fry herself to ride her horse. Lizz, on the other hand, normally stayed in her nice, cool basement (also known as The Dungeon) and play her Playstation. This week's games were Soul Reaver and Soul Reaver 2. Lizz was rather proud of herself when she managed to outsmart the shades for the fourth time that day. And yes, she kept count.

"If you don't, I'm going to sell that game!" Becca shot.

"Over my cold, hard corpse!" Lizz shot back. She noted, with satisfaction, that the come-back ended the conversation.

Lizz paused the game, then got up and went to the basement's wet bar to get something to drink. She searched the cabinets for a glass, found one, then scoured the fridge only to discover that they were completely out of Coke. Muttering, she picked up a Pepsi and returned to her game.

She played for an hour or so longer, then saved her game. She turned off the power, made the room all neat again, and finally retreated into her room. After closing her door and turning off the lights, she decided to lay down to sleep away the remaining hours of heat.

Two hours later, she woke up in a cold sweat. She had had her third Dream of Warning, and she wasn't enjoying the results.

Lizz always had a Dream of Warning right before something bad happened. She came from a long line of empathy, Wicca's, and psychics (real ones, not phonies like Miss Cleo), and her powers were stronger than those of the past four generations. The ones before her could normally only predict the future (stock market or weather, nothing major) and do actual tarot, accompanied by minor cases of déjà vu. 

Her first Dream of Warning warned her of the teen boys who enjoyed messing with her family's property in the middle of the night. Lizz and her Irish wolf hound Finn caught then in time, and they were in court the following week.

Her second Dream woke her up in time to get the barn animals out of the barn before the gas tanks exploded. The barn and most of the equipment was destroyed in the explosion and the following fire, but the farmers and ranchers helped them replace everything. Lizz got away with a slight concussion and a few minor burns.

This Dream though…. She didn't understand it. She remembered something about a stick, the T.V. and a monster. And something about her Playstation, but she wasn't sure what it was about.

Lizz sat up and glanced around her room, trying to make sure everything was in its place. She jumped out of bed, completely dressed, and turned on the light to inspect her room. Swords were on the racks, pole arms and shield in the closet--all of the weapons were renaissance, and only a handful were sharp--undead thing holding a sharp, pointy stick in the corner…

Lizz did a double-take with what she thought she saw, but it had vanished by the time she looked again. Her heart began to race as she grabbed a war lance from her closet and stood in the middle of the room.

Her eyes darted about the room as she turned around in a complete circle. After doing this for five minutes, Lizz began to feel foolish. After all, having grabbed a full-sized war lance and searching her bedroom for an undead thing holding a sharp pointy stick and not finding an undead thing holding a sharp pointy stick… it can get very disappointing.

Lizz's train of thought was quickly altered when she heard raspy breathing behind her. She spun around in time to see something quickly escape her field of vision. She turned again to keep it in her sights, and when it finally stopped running, Lizz decided it was the ugliest thing she had ever seen in her life.

The thing's skin was an unnatural color, and its eyes were blood-red. Its bony hands sported nasty looking claws, and the fangs in its mouth were dripping with saliva.

"Oh, this isn't good." Lizz said as the monster turned to face her. "It's a vampire."


	2. Enter Nosgoth

Thank you so much for the reviews. Here's another chapter. Enjoy!

Oh, by the way. Forgot to do the disclaimer thingie in the first chapter. Disclaimer: I do not own Eidos, or Soul Reaver. I do own Lizz/Raevin, and you know the drill. You want to use her, ask. I'll probably say yes, but asking is nice. ;p

~Raevin~

*******************

Lizz jumped back as the vampire lunged at her, baring its fangs and hissing. It thrust it's stick at Lizz, who ducked and let the stick puncture her wall. She cursed under her breath as the vamp shoved her up against the wall next to her sword racks. "Bad mistake, buddy." She snapped, kicking it in the gut and pushing it back. She thrust the lance at the vamp, then grabbed the closest object--her Celtic short sword-- off the sword rack and held it close.

The lance went all the way through the vampire's chest. The fiend howled and screeched with anger and clawed at Lizz, but missed and fell to the floor, dead. Completely dead. Shaking, Lizz knelt and rolled the monster over. It was dead, alright. "It's not going to be moving." She said to herself. She stood up on shaky legs and stumbled out of her room.

Her rec room was a disaster area. The couch was in pieces all over the room, and the pillows and blankets were shredded. "Oh god…" Lizz gasped, leaning against the wall for support. "Finn!" She screamed. Her hound came bounding down the stairs, fur and tail bristling. The moment Finn smelled the vamp, he let out a howl. "No, it's okay, boy." Lizz said, sliding down the wall. "Come here, is everyone alright upstairs?" Finn placed his head in Lizz's lap and whines softly. Lizz's empathic abilities told her that everyone was alright. "Go upstairs, boy." Lizz said. Finn stood up, licked Lizz's hand, bared his teeth at the vamp corpse, and ran back upstairs.

Lizz grasped her sword firmly and attached the sheath to her belt. She stood back up and stumbled over to the TV, which had a huge hole in the screen. It looked as if the vampire had jumped out of the TV screen itself, as the glass was all over the floor of the room. The insides of the TV were scattered throughout the room, and the larger glass shards had a strange black glow on their edges. 

"Oh, that's freaky." Lizz said, tenderly picking up a large glass shard. She traced the edge of the shard, and winced as it sliced into her hand. "I hope this doesn't have any strange affect on me or something." She muttered, sucking on her bleeding finger as she slipped the glass shard into her pocket.

She left the TV to inspect her Playstation. The remains of the game system were inside the shell of the TV, but the game disc was in perfect condition. "Oh, that's even more freaky than the glowing glass." Lizz murmured. She stuck her head into the shell of the big screen to retrieve the game system when the whole thing started to glow with an alternating black and white aura. "Oh, this isn't good." Lizz said, stepping back to a safe distance from the glowing TV, Playstation, and Soul Reaver disc. 

She retrieved the lance from the vampire corpse and stood in a fighting stance, facing the glowing electronic remains. The glow brightened and Lizz was forced to shield her eyes and hold the lance at the same time. "That TV is supposed to be broken." She growled. "So it's not supposed to be glowing."

Suddenly, the whole thing flared with light. Lizz screamed something, but the flare had somehow made her deaf. Something hard and heavy flew out of the glare and connected to Lizz's temple, knocking her unconscious. 

***

Some time later, Lizz woke up. Her head hurt, and when she raised her hand to her head, it felt wet. She was bleeding. She groaned softly and tried to move, but her body refused to cooperate. She stayed where she was, waiting for death to come or the pain to subside, whichever would come first.

Death never came, but the pain never left, either. Lizz slowly sat up, trying not to get dizzy. She looked around to see where she was, and noticed she wasn't in her living room anymore. She was still wearing the same clothes, her sword was still in its sheath and attached to her belt, and her lance was beside her on the ground.

She was in a field.

The grass of the field came up to her chest when she was seated. There were no trees at all in the field. A forest bordered one side of the field, and a village bordered the side opposite of the forest. A rough wooden fence surrounded the field, and a herd of horses grazed on the grass. There were four gates on the fence: one led to the village, one led to the forest, a gate for each field next to the one Lizz was in. 

Lizz used her lance to lean against as she stood up. As soon as she had figured out where north was, she was able to make a mental map of the field and everything around it. The forest was south of her, and the village was north. Fields flanked the eastern and western sides of the field. The field on the east held a large herd of cattle. The field on the west appeared to be used for farming some sort of crop, probably corn or wheat.

The village had a medieval look to it. The buildings were either made of some sort of brick, wood, or stones. Most of the buildings had thatched roofs, but a few had wooden roofs, and most of them were made of either stone or brick. The wooden ones appeared to be stalls or barns. Smoke curled upward from the chimneys, and Lizz could plainly see the living areas and business areas of the village; the village's market area was marked with a tavern and inn.

The forest to the south made Lizz nervous. The only thing that made her more nervous was the fact that she new she wasn't in Nebraska anymore.

A few of the horses around her noticed her, but only one actually came near. It was a beautiful stallion, pure white with a black mane and tail. It nudged Lizz gently with his muzzle, begging to be scratched. Lizz did so, scratching him under the chin and then behind the ears.

"Where am I?" She asked. But the horse didn't answer.


	3. A New Name is Taken

Thanks again for the reviews! I do welcome flames, just not very nasty ones. I do like to improve. ;)

Disclaimer: I do not own Eidos, or Soul Reaver (wish I did…). I do own Lizz/Raevin. Ask nicely, and I'll let you use her.

~Raevin~

******

Lizz soon found she was unable to move any distance without feeling a sharp pain in her head. She sat down, put her lance on the ground, and was thankful that the sword sheath was attached to her belt by means of a leather strap. It made sitting easier.

And the stallion surprised her; he laid down next to her and rested his head on her shoulder. Lizz furrowed her brow slightly, but then leaned against the horse for comfort and support. "Thanks." She said, grinning faintly and scratching the horse behind the ears.

Lizz quickly fell asleep to the horses rhythmic breathing. She slept, leaning against the horse's shoulder, for the remainder of the afternoon. The horse watched her protectively, baring his teeth at any other horse or animal in general that came too close.

Lizz was awakened by the sound of a ringing bell. An old man stood by the gate leading to the village, ringing a large bell and yelling to the horses. All of the horses turned and walked to the gate, where they were herded into a nearby barn. The stallion stayed where he was, giving the man what appeared to be the evil eye.

The old man squinted at the horse, then noticed Lizz. He started yelling something to her, but she was still unable to understand. It was in English, that much she new, but she had lost too much blood to be able to think straight. The horse whinnied loudly, still refusing to move.

Soon, the man came to them, accompanied by an aging woman and two men who were dressed in armor. The sun was starting to set, and they were looking very nervous. "Girl, are you alright?" The man asked.

Lizz murmured, unable to form words. She managed to point up at her still bleeding head. The woman gasped, quickly pulling a bandage from her shoulder bag. She knelt and carefully wrapped Lizz's head with the bandage. "Oh, you poor dear! What happened to you?" She asked. The armored men were fidgeting and glancing at the forest, as if waiting for something to come out.

"We need to get to the village before the sun completely sets." One of them said.

The old man nodded. "Yes, we do. Let's get the girl to the village; she can come to our home." The man said, nodding towards the woman, who nodded in response.

One of the armored men carefully picked Lizz up off the ground, and the other picked up her lance. He noticed the darker-than-normal blood stains on the lance head, and showed it to the old man. The man nodded and took the lance.

The group brought Lizz back to the village and the white stallion followed. The horse went as far as the barn, where he whinnied to Lizz, then joined the rest of his herd. The group entered a small stone house that had a cross hanging from each window and a large silver cross impeded in the wooden door. Lizz managed to look at the other doors of the village; they had the same silver cross on them.

The man carrying her took her into a bedroom and placed her carefully on the bed. The old man came in, followed by the old lady. The armored men left and stayed in the main room, closer to the door.

"Charles, what is that on the lance? Blood?" The old lady asked, noticing the lance.

"Yes, it is." Charles, the man, answered, closing the door. "Vampire blood."

"Oh, dear God…" the lady gasped, holding a hand to her mouth. "That girl fought off a vampire and survived?"

"Apparently." The man said. He washed the lance head in a bowl of water, dried it, and tossed the foul water out the window. He closed the window, making sure the cross hanging there was in its proper space, and then leaned the lance against the wall.

The lady proceeded to unwrap Lizz's bandage to clean it and wrap it properly. In a matter of moments, Lizz's head was feeling much better, and she was beginning to be able to think clearly now. She was still light-headed, after having lost so much blood through her head, and she was finding it hard to focus on anything. Lizz closed her eyes, feeling exhausted.

"Let's get you something to eat and drink. Anna, stay here with the girl. I'll be back with food and some better clothes." The mad said, leaving and closing the door behind him.

Anna sat on the bed and examined Lizz's bandaged head. "How long had you been there?" She asked.

Lizz frowned. "Eh… can't remember… Vampire, with a stick… attacked, and I killed it…. with the lance…. Woke up in the… field. That horse… the white one… it stayed with me." Lizz was hardly able to talk, and was forced to pause between words.

Anna nodded. "No body has ever been able to get as close to that horse as you did. He must like you a lot. We found him wandering in the forest, and we added him to our village herd. He won't let anyone touch him, much less ride him." She jumped slightly when a knock came from the door. Charles poked his head in, then opened the door all the way to bring in clean clothes and food. 

"She can dress in the morning." He said. "Right now, she needs to at least drink. I think she's been out there the entire day."

"She said she killed a vampire with her lance when it attacked her, and that she woke up in the field." Anna said, taking the clothes and draping them over the back of a chair.

"So, those vampires are getting bolder." Charles frowned. "They might attack our herds. Best talk to the Council about setting watches during the dark hours."

Anna nodded, taking the food and flask from her husband. She placed the food on the bedside table and helped Lizz drink from the flagon. "The poor dear can hardly talk, much less move or hold something." She said, pausing to let Lizz breath before making her drink some more water. "Dear, what is your name?"

Lizz frowned. She remembered her name, and she remembered where she came from, but she had no idea how she had gotten here… where ever 'here' was. She decided she needed a new name. "Raevin…." she said weakly. "And not raven, as the bird. It's spelled differently. 'A' and 'E', then 'I'; the rest is the same." 

Anna nodded slowly. "You must be from that forest tribe that those nasty vampires destroyed this past week. Your clothing is different from ours, and so is your sword and lance."

"Rest now." Charles said, leading his wife to the door. "You can try moving in the morning, when you've slept."

Raevin nodded, already feeling herself slipping into a deep sleep. A caw from outside brought her back, and she looked out the window to see what had made the noise.

It was a raven.


	4. Ectoplasm

Everyone!

Hiyas. Yes, it's another chapter. Maybe things will get a bit more interesting in this one. You know how those books are; always boring in the beginning, and when things start picking up, you can't put the thing down!

Disclaimer: Nope, still don't own Eidos or the Legacy of Kain…. Thing. If I do somehow own then, I'll be sure to let everyone know. ;) Lizz/Raevin is still mine, and Ectoplasm the stallion is also mine. (Strange name, I know. Actually, my real horse is a dark brown quarter horse named Honey… but oh well.) So when Ectoplasm is said, don't think of something that has to do with plant cells, m'kay?

~Raevin~

********

Raevin woke up to the sun shining in through the window in her room. She squinted against the light, then blinked a few times to get the sleep out of her eyes. She was still feeling weak, but at least she was able to sit up without getting dizzy. She carefully climbed out of bed and tested her legs. They held her, but she was a bit unsteady. Her clothes were dirty, covered in dirt and grass stains from the day before. She changed out of her jeans and solid black t-shirt and into the clothes that Charles and Anna had set out the night before: blue trousers, a black shirt, a black leather belt, and black boots. Anna had removed Raevin's sword before putting her in bed, and now Raevin attached it to her new belt.

After testing her legs a few times, Raevin felt brave enough to venture outside her room. Using the walls as support, she mad her way to the door and quietly opened it, thankful it didn't make any loud squeaking noises. She mad her way down the hall to the main room, where Anna and Charles were seated. They were eating breakfast, and Charles nearly threw his food across the room when he saw Raevin. "Great God, child, you scared us!" Anna exclaimed. "Here, sit down and I'll get you something to eat."

Charles helped Raevin into a chair while Anna went to find something for her to eat. The elderly woman came back a moment later, carrying a large slice of cheese, a loaf of bread, and a piece of jerky. "Try this." She said, putting the food items on a plate for Raevin.

"How are you feeling, Raevin?" Charles asked.

Raevin, almost forgetting that was what her name was and not Lizz, nodded. "Better. I'm still feeling a bit weak, but I'm able to sit up and move without getting dizzy. Walking is a bit of a problem, because I need to lean against something to keep from falling over."

Anna nodded. "You will probably be feeling that way for a day or two. Here, maybe this will help, I don't think you should be leaning on your lance while you walk." She said. She went over to a closet and brought out a tall, straight staff. "It use to be my father's. Now you can use it to help you walk until you're healthy again." Anna said, handing the staff to Raevin.

Raevin stood up and leaned against the staff. It stood about six inches higher than her, and it was made out of what appeared to be rattan. It supported her weight nicely, and it enabled her to move about without needing to lean against a wall or another person. "Thank you." Raevin said, smiling. "This will help." She sat back down to eat breakfast and talk with her caretakers.

Charles and Anna, Raevin learned, use to work in the village's tavern. Before, Charles had worked as a soldier to fight against vampires. The land Raevin was in was Nosgoth, and the name of the village was Durikyn. Durikyn, a small farming and ranching village in the Territory of Dumah, had a small population. Most of its residents were either too old or too young to fight vampires, and those who could were either dead, dying, or already fighting and guarding.

I know all of this. Raevin thought to herself. I mean, I play the games, I do the fan site and fictions, I'm a big vampire fan… this is all too freaky. "One moment. I'll be right back." Raevin said, standing up and using her staff to help her get back to her room. She searched her torn, dirty, and discarded jeans for the glass shard. The once clear glass shard was now pitch black, and it seemed to give off a warmth of some type.

Raevin went back to the main room and asked for a leather cord and a hot iron rod. Charles went to find a rod and Anna went to find the cord. They both came back, both with what they had left to get. Charles gave Raevin the iron rod, which was not hot. She placed the end of the rod in the fireplace, then took the cord from Anna. Anna and Charles waited for Raevin to do something, and Raevin waited for the iron to get hot enough. After a few minutes, Raevin grasped the cool part of the rod and brought out the white-hot tip. She pushed the tip against her glass shard and made a hole in one end of the shard. She put the iron rod on the stone floor in front of the fireplace, and waited for the glass to cool. After it had cooled, Raevin strung the leather cord through the shard, tied the ends together, and hung it around her neck.

"Good luck charm." She said simply, answering Anna and Charles' unasked question. "Is it alright if I went to see the horses? I'd like to see that white stallion."

"Of course. They're being fed, so they're all in the barn." Charles answered, still confused as to why Raevin bothered to string a leather cord through a glass shard.

Raevin thanked her caretakers, then made her way outside with the staff. She stayed to the side and carefully walked towards the barn. She slipped through a side door and watched as a group of girls fed the horses hay and grass. When the girls tried to touch the white stallion he snorted and stepped away, refusing to allow them to touch him.

One of the girls turned and saw Raevin watching. She gasped and dropped her armload of hay. The others looked up and saw her, and became very nervous. They all left the barn, keeping as far away from Raevin as possible.

Raevin frowned, watching them pass. She slowly walked over to the white stallion, using the staff for support. As she scratched the horse behind the ears, she heard a voice.

"They're scared of you, because you were able to touch that stallion." The voice said. It was a girls voice. "They think it's a ghost. No one's been able to prove it, because no one can touch or catch him. He's never wet when it rains, and he's never dirty."

Raevin listened carefully to the voice. "Then why don't you run?" She asked, not turning around.

"Because I have no reason to." The voice replied.

Raevin turned around and saw a girl watching her. She wore a tattered dress, leather leggings, and boots. She had dark brown hair, green eyes, and a very deep scar running across her neck and shoulders. "What makes you think that?" Raevin asked.

"Why should I run from someone I hardly know? Especially if that someone has slain a vampire?" She asked back. She continued on with her work, giving the horses hay and checking their water.

"I can tell you aren't too fond of them." Raevin said, sitting down on a pile of full grain sacks. She leaned her staff against the pile, and the stallion nudged Raevin's arm, asking for more petting.

"What human in their right mind would be fond of a vampire?" The girl snapped. 

Raevin took this into consideration. "I see your point." She said. "Where did that scar come from?"

The girl paused, then gave Raevin a strange look. She dropped her hay, then sat down at Raevin's feet. The gesture made Raevin feel uncomfortable.

"It came from a vampire." the girl said. "Well, a group of vampires. They…." she shuddered visibly, but continued talking. "They raped me, and beat me. They did all these terrible things to me, and didn't even bite me."

Raevin frowned. "How long ago was this? How old are you?"

"I'm sixteen years old." the girl replied. "I got my scar about a year and a half ago. Sometimes it still hurts, if I turn my head the wrong way." The stallion had by now moved to Raevin's other side, keeping Raevin between himself and the girl.

"I guess that puts us in the same boat." Raevin said, pointing up at her head.

"The vampire that you killed did that to you?"

"You could say that." Raevin said. Actually, I killed the vampire and never got a scratch, just a bruise in my ribs. I got the hole in my head from a flying, hard, solid something that came out of my TV. Raevin thought to herself.

"My name's Ally. What's yours?" The girl asked.

"I'm Raevin." Raevin replied.

"Raven, as in the bird?" Ally asked.

Raevin shook her head. "It's spelled differently. It's R-a-e-v-i-n."

"You must be from the forest tribe out there." Ally said. "I was told that the village was destroyed."

"I was found in a field full of horses, so I don't think I'll be able to tell you what condition the village is in." Raevin replied.

"True." Ally replied. She looked at the stallion. "You should give him a name."

Raevin blinked, then glanced at the horse. "Why? He isn't mine, I can't name him."

"But you can." Ally replied. "After all, you're the only one who can touch him, so that should make him yours."

Raevin furrowed her brow in thought. "You do have a point." She scratched the stallion under the chin. "So, people think he's a ghost, but no one can prove it." She held the stallion's head with her hands. "How does Ectoplasm sound?"

"Ecto….plasm?" Ally asked. "What's that?"

"It's the substance that makes up a ghost or spirit or wraith." Raevin explained. "It's made up of nothing and everything at the same time. You can't feel it, but when you touch it, you know it's there. It's solid and not, both at the same time, and it can come in any color: black, white, blue, green, red, yellow."

Ally grinned and laughed. "You seem to know a lot about those kinds of things. I didn't think anyone knew what made up a ghost, or how to explain it."

Raevin shrugged. "It's a past time for me. I like all sorts of strange, inhuman things. Like ghosts, or werewolves. Even vampires, but most people frown on that."

"It's because vampires are the enemy of the human race." Ally said. "What do you know about vampires?" she asked after a long silence.

Raevin thought for a moment. "Well, there are many different kinds, at least there are where I come from. There is a type of vampire that takes the form of a firefly, but when it's caught, it turns into a terrible monster. Apparently, though, there is only one kind of vampire here. Unless it is divided into clans."

"They are." Ally said. "Their Lord is the vampire known as Kain. He has six 'sons': Raziel, Dumah, Turel, Rahab, Zephon, and Melchiah. He has taken Nosgoth and divided it between himself and his sons."

"And let me guess, he has the most land?" Raevin asked, raising an eyebrow.

Ally nodded. "Next comes Raziel, but I think it is only because he is first born."

Raevin chuckled. "I guess that's how life works." She said.

Ally stood up. "I need to go. I also work at the tavern and inn, and I need to be there before the sun is high." She waved as she left for the door. "Maybe I'll see you later!"

Raevin nodded to no one. "Maybe. Maybe not." She said. She scratched Ectoplasm under the chin. "So, if you really are a ghost, how come I can touch you?" Ectoplasm just snorted and shook his head. "Can you walk through walls or anything?" Ectoplasm bobbed his head in what looked like a nod. "Well, then. Prove it!"

Ectoplasm slowly walked over to a stall. He whinnied at Raevin, then walked through the stall door. "Unbelievable…" Raevin said as Ectoplasm came back to her. "You really are a ghost. Or a spirit. And yet I can touch you, like I can a solid object." Ectoplasm proceeded to correct her by passing his nose through her chest. "Alright, so maybe you can control your abilities." Raevin chuckled, scratching Ectoplasm behind the ears. "You know, this could be the start of a beautiful friendship."


	5. Captured by Vampires

Yay! Reviews! Glad everyone is enjoying the fanfic… I think you're enjoying the fanfic.

Alright, if I come to a sudden writer's block, you'll have to excuse me. That happens to me frequently.

Disclaimer: Nope, -still- don't own Eidos or Legacy of Kain or Soul Reaver. I do own Raevin and Ectoplasm and Vogel. Ask nicely and you can use them.

~Raevin~

**********

Raevin spent the rest of her day walking…. Or maybe limping…. Around the village. She went to the market and looked at the wares, peeked inside the tavern (that was a bad idea), looked around in the lobby of the inn, then went to the fields.

Ectoplasm followed her throughout her exploration of the fields surrounding Durikyn. If a bull from the cattle herd even looked at Raevin funny and pawed the ground, Ectoplasm would then paw the air and bare his teeth. The gesture would send the bull lumbering off in the opposite direction.

Then Raevin saw the raven again. The one that had been outside her bedroom window when she gave herself the new name. It looked at her and cawed, then fanned its wings and flew down to perch on Ectoplasm's back.

"This is getting really weird." Raevin said, looking at the bird. It looked back at her and cawed. "I hope you aren't going to be following me around. People already look at me funny when I touch Ectoplasm." The raven cawed again. "Does this mean I have to name you, too?"

"CAW!"

"Hmm." Raevin turned and started back to the village. Ectoplasm walked after her, and the raven took back to the air. When she turned and looked, the raven was gone. She sighed, then led Ectoplasm back to the horses pasture.

After convincing Ectoplasm to stay in the pasture, Raevin made her way back to Anna and Charles' house. The moment she stepped through the door, they started asking questions. Where she was that day, what she had done, who she had talked to, and if she had had food or drink while she was out. Raevin answered all the questions. Then she told them about the raven.

"It kind of followed me around, I think." Raevin said. "It landed on Ectoplasm's back and cawed at me."

"Ectoplasm?" Anna asked.

"The white stallion I was telling you about. A girl named Ally said I should name him, since I was the only one who could touch him." Raevin replied, sitting down carefully in a chair.

"And what about this raven? Did you see it before today?" Charles asked. He appeared nervous.

"I saw it when you were taking care of me. I told you what my name was, then you left, and then the raven cawed from outside my window." Raevin said. This is getting really confusing. She thought to herself.

Charles sighed and sat down in a chair. He suddenly looked very old. "There is a legend in this village," he began. "About a child like yourself who could talk to the spirits and was kin of the raven. People are beginning to talk about it again. They've seen you with that white stallion."

"What Charles is trying to say is that you are in danger." Anna said. "This child he speaks of is supposed to be the doom of this village."

Raevin stared off into space. "Why? Why is this child… or me, in this case…. Why the doom of the village?"

"Because this child will take sides with the vampires and become one of them." Charles replied. He had grown suddenly pale. "Raevin, you remind us a lot of our son… he died about three years ago." His shoulders shook as he fought his tears. "He was killed by vampires."

"I'm so sorry." Raevin replied. "If I must, I will leave Durikyn to keep it safe. You two healed me and kept me alive, it's the least I can do."

"No child." Anna said, sitting in a chair next to Raevin. "You are still weak. You could get hurt out there. I think you should stay here until you are healthy again, and then we'll talk about that." She placed a hand on Raevin's shoulder. "The village is having a gathering to talk later this week, and the Council requested that you come. With the stallion."

"Why?" Raevin asked. "I haven't done anything."

"We know. Which is why you are going armed." Charles said. He stood up and walked to the closet. Opening it, he took out a tightly wrapped bundle. He gave the bundle to Raevin and said "Take this. We think you will like it."

Raevin unwrapped the cow hide from around the bundle to reveal a uniform of sorts. The contents of the bundle were a pair of loose white leather pants, a white leather jacket, a black leather belt, a white cotton shirt with designs on the shoulder and down the back, and white leather boots with black designs on them. "What is this for?" Raevin asked.

"It as supposed to be a gift to our son." Anna explained. "But, he was killed before we could give it to him. So now, we give it to you."

Raevin fingered the white leather. "I do not think I deserve such a gift." She said softly.

"But you do." Charles said. "We found you, and it was like we had found our son again. We give you this gift out of the love of our hearts."

Raevin frowned. She was still a bit confused. "What day is this gathering?"

*****

The entire village had gathered in the village greens for the meeting. They milled in groups ranging between three and eight, and the Council members sat in chairs in the middle of it all. Some wore regular work clothes, others wore nicer clothes. All of the young men wore armor and carried weapons.

Charles, Anna, and Raevin came a bit late. Raevin had trouble persuading Ectoplasm to come with them, but in the end he finally followed. Raevin kept glancing around, trying to see if that raven was following her.

When they entered the greens, everyone stopped talking and looked at them. Or, more specifically, looked at Raevin and Ectoplasm. A few people pointed and started to murmur, and others just turned away.

Ectoplasm flattened his ears against his head and bared his teeth. Charles had Raevin fit him with a black saddle and bridle, in case she needed a fast getaway. The saddle and bridle had been hand made by Charles and Anna, and they had made Raevin promise them that she'd keep them.

"I think it's best that you two stay away from me. So you two don't become targets." Raeven whispered to Anna and Charles. They nodded and reluctantly left to join their friends.

"Raevin!" Raevin turned and saw Ally running towards her. She was dressed in better clothing than she was when Raevin had met her in the barn. "You brought Ectoplasm?" Ally asked when she reached Raevin.

Raevin nodded. "Yes, I did. I thought it would be best. To try and clear up any confusion."

Raevin was dressed in the white leather clothes that Anna and Charles had given her. Her sword hung from her belt, and she carried her lance. She had returned the staff to Anna when she was able to walk about with minimal problems. 

"Are you sure it's safe?" Ally asked. Ectoplasm was having a hard time staying a decent distance away from everyone.

"No." Raevin replied.

"Everyone!" One of the Council members boomed. He appeared to be the leader. "We have come together to discuss what we should do about the vampires. They are getting bolder, and they have attacked the last surviving member of the forest tribes. We need to defend ourselves!"

"We can defend ourselves by sending the girl away!" An armored man said. He had an eye patch over one eye and a nasty scar on his cheek.

"Why do we need to send the child away?" One of the other Council members asked.

"Because she is from the legend. She can touch that stallion, and I have seen a raven following her." The man snapped.

Everyone started to talk at the same time. Ally looked at Raevin strangely and took a few steps back. Raevin frowned, then looked at the closest tree. The raven was perched there, and it wasn't making any noise.

"And this proves that she is from our Legend? How? Perhaps the stallion has just taken to her." The Council replied.

"But no one can touch the stallion!" Someone else piped up. "Every time someone tries, it runs away."

This isn't looking good. Raevin thought to herself. The bird in the tree was fluttering its wings and glancing at Raevin and Ectoplasm. "If you want," Raevin called out, causing everyone to stop talking and look at her. "I will leave. I am healthy enough, I can manage on my own."

"I would rather have you dead, wench." The man growled.

"There is no need to wish ill on the girl, Berg." Charles said. "She had done nothing to any of us."

"But she has. She had brought the vampires closer!" Berg howled, gripping his big war axe.

"This is looking ugly." Raevin whispered to Ectoplasm. The stallion snorted and shook his head. He sidestepped closer to Raevin, pushing her back with the saddle he wore. "You want me to get on?" Raevin asked. Ectoplasm bobbed his head and nickered. Raevin grabbed the saddle and swung herself up onto Ectoplasm's back.

"So you wish me dead?" Raevin asked Berg. "You will have to try hard to accomplish your goal."

"Girl, you tempt me." Berg smirked. He brought out his axe and swung it through the air a few times. "Might I suggest you swing first?"

"If I were to swing first, you would be dead." Raevin spat. This was making her annoyed, and granted she wasn't making the situation any better by challenging the man. She knew this.

"Suit yourself, girl. That will be one mistake that will cost you your life." Berg said. He ran towards Raevin and Ectoplasm, yelling a war cry and scattering villagers.

Ectoplasm whirled and ran towards Berg, and Raevin clung to the reins. When Ectoplasm and Berg were about to collide, Ectoplasm soared into the air and jumped clear over Berg's head. Raevin watched as Berg swung his axe at Ectoplasm's belly. But, the blade just passed on through.

"Not sure if that was a good idea or a bad one." Raevin said to Ectoplasm as he landed and spun around to face Berg. The horse just shook his head, then bared his teeth at Berg, who was staring at them with a look of shock and horror.

"You… that horse. It really is a ghost!" Berg cried. He dropped his axe and tried to step back, but tripped over his own two feet.

"Wait! You don't understand!" Raevin yelled. The townsfolk were getting…. Hostile. The armored men were bringing out their weapons, and the townsfolk were scrambling to get out of the way. Charles and Anna weren't sure if they should run to try and protect Raevin or run with the other townsfolk. 

Some of the armored men had formed a barrier between Raevin and the Council. Raevin had no intention of going after the Council; she didn't have any intention of going after anyone. The rest of the men were working on surrounding her.

Ectoplasm reared as one of the men tried to grab onto his bridle. Letting out a tremendous scream, he tore through the ranks of the men, scattering them. He spun and kicked out, nearly kicking one of the men in the face. Raevin pulled in the reins and Ectoplasm ran south towards the fields. Raevin glanced up at the afternoon sky and saw the glossy black bird flying above them. "Looks like we have another addition to our little group." Raevin said as Ectoplasm cleared the fence. He ran to the southern end of the field and cleared that fence, as well. Soon, they were in the forest.

Ectoplasm slowed his run to a walk, and eventually stopped. He looked as if he had just walked from one end of the barn to the other. He wasn't sweating, and he wasn't breathing hard. "Well, you really are a ghost." Raevin said. "After a run like that, I know I'd be tired."

A caw from above caused Raevin to look up into the trees. Sure enough, it was the raven. And he looked intent on following. "Bird, I swear." Raevin scowled. "You and Ectoplasm have made us all a problem." Ectoplasm shook his head at this and snorted. "No, you have." Ectoplasm shook his entire body like a dog after a bath, rattling Raevin's teeth. "Alright, alright."

Ectoplasm started to walk farther into the forest, and the raven hopped from branch to branch to follow. "I guess I have to name the bird, too." Raevin said. The raven cawed in reply. "Fine. Might as well give you a fitting name. Since you're a bird, we'll name to Vogel. It means bird." The raven cawed again and flew down to sit on the saddle horn. Raevin, sighing, gave up and let the raven follow.

The farther into the forest the group went, the darker it became. It got to the point were the vegetation was so thick, the sun couldn't get through to the plants on the ground. And Raevin could sense Death in the air. Ectoplasm didn't seem bothered, but then, he was already dead. 

Suddenly, the forest opened up into a clearing. A huge tree in the middle had branches that spanned the clearing, ensuring darkness' rule. Bodies of both vampire and human littered the ground, and forest animals and insects had already made work of the corpses. The huts were burned to the ground, and the heads of the tribe's leaders were displayed on sticks shoved into the ground around the base of the huge tree. "Oh my god…" Raevin said. The smell made her gag, but she managed to keep her food down. "This is the destroyed forest village."

"It is, and you are trespassing, human girl." A voice said from the shadows to her right. Ectoplasm whirled to face the voice, and Raevin held her lance at the ready. She was no fighter, but she had already killed a vampire. If she had to, she'd force herself to become a fighter. After all, she had the horse and the weapons.

A tall, very dangerous looking vampire stepped out of the shadows. The fingers on his hands were talons, and his feet were cloven. "You are trespassing on my forest, human. You shall pay the ultimate price; Death."

"Maybe next time." Raevin said, turning Ectoplasm away and running across the clearing to the tree. The sight of the heads made her shiver, but she kept Ectoplasm running.

The vampire just stood there. Raevin started to wonder why when smaller vampires jumped out of the shadows surrounding her. Vogel took to the air and landed on a branch in the giant tree. "Coward." Raevin muttered, and Vogel cawed back.

Ectoplasm spun and reared, pawing the air. His hooves connected to a few of the vampires' heads, knocking them out cold. Raevin swung her lance and scattered some more. The stallion screamed and kicked, sending two vampires flying. The move knocked Raevin off balance, and she fought to stay on Ectoplasm's back.

Strong hands reached up and grabbed Raevin by the shoulders. She was pulled down to the ground, and Ectoplasm screamed again, pawing at the vampire that had grabbed Raevin. The vampire fell to the ground, stunned, with a bloody hoof mark on his face. Raevin jumped up and was quickly disarmed of her lance. Muttering, she brought out her sword and swung it from side to side, trying to keep the monsters back.

Vogel cawed and flew down from his branch. He clawed at the eyes of a vampire, then flew back up to the safety of the tree. Cawing, he gave the vampires the evil eye and fluffed his feathers in annoyance. "You're a big help." Raevin called up to Vogel, and received the 'I'm a bird, what else can I do?' look.

One of the vampires clawed at Raevin, and made a cut along her neck. It wasn't deep, but it stung. Raevin scowled and started to swing her sword at the vampire's neck, but her wrist was grabbed by a taloned hand.

"I don't think so, little human child." A voice said. It was the vampire that Raevin had first seen. He appeared to be the leader. "I must admit, you are an impressive fighter. Able to keep my brood back with a lance, a sword, and a horse. Very impressive." He yanked the sword from Raevin's grasp and twisted her arm behind her back. "But not good enough. You are coming back to my lair; perhaps my father, Kain, can think of something to do with you. You deserve so much more than Death for fighting my brood. We happen to be meeting with him tomorrow night."

Raevin ground her teeth in pain, and squirmed to try and free herself. It was no use. The vampires had seized her weapons, and Ectoplasm. He pulled and shook his head, but the silver in the bridle kept him in place. A few of the vampires were busy trying to catch Vogel with a net, but it wasn't going their way. Finally, they managed to snag the bird. Vogel screeched and flapped his wings wildly, but it only tangled the net around him.

As Raevin and her companions were led away, Raevin muttered under her breath. "This is not a good day."

Deep in the shadows, protected by the spells she had cast, sat Ally. She had completely changed her clothes, going from dress to brown leather pants and jacket, and a falchion and it's scabbard hung from her belt. A pouch next to the scabbard held some small silver pieces, a vial of water, and some garlic sealed tightly in a vial. The seal kept the smell out, and kept her hidden. She had watched the scene, and the sight of the destroyed tribe village made her stomach twist into little knots. Slowly standing up and keeping the hiding spells on herself, she followed Raevin and her captors. 


	6. Ally Becomes a Vampire

Alrighty, time to clear a few things up.

Raevin acts a lot like myself. I hardly ever let anything get to me, I hardly ever cry (very unhealthy), and I adapt quickly. Raevin does the same, and please note she near got her butt kicked by vampires.

Wouldn't you be cocky towards some big shot if you were sitting on a horse's back? Especially if that horse was dead? ;)

Oh, and Raevin's a town hick, too, so it's blow for blow. That's how we hicks do things. ::ducks:: This is all in good nature, by the way, so no flames. ::puts on a flame retardant suit::

Disclaimer: Don't own anything by Eidos, but I do own Raevin, Ectoplasm, Vogel, and Ally. (hah!) Sooooo…. Yeah.

~Raevin~

***********

Raevin sat in a cell in Dumah's lair. She had since then been told who were her captors, what their plans were for her, and whether or not she was going to live before meeting with this Kain.

She wasn't liking it one bit. They planned to toy with her, and see how long she could fight a group of vampire fledglings. So far, she had survived the first two groups. She wasn't given any weapon, and they had already torn her up enough to make her feel weak for blood lose. Thank god I took those martial arts classes when I had the chance. Raevin thought to herself. Otherwise, I think I'd be shredded wheat by now.

The thought of home made her feel like crying. But since she hadn't cried since she was a little girl, the tears never came. "How did this all get started, anyway?" She asked herself. She held her head in her hands for a moment, trying to figure out how she had made it through this fantasy world without having a depression attack. "Might have been Ectoplasm… maybe even Vogel… no, not Vogel." She sighed, then curled up in the corner of her cell and tried to fall asleep. "Fifteen year old disappears during the day. Heheh, I can see that kind of headline." Raevin said as she began to fall asleep.

***

Ally looked at the lair entrance carefully. Four vampire guards were posted on the ground at the entrance, and she saw two more patrolling the area. The odds of getting past them were slim to none, and it would be a six against one fight if she chose to attack.

She sighed and sat down. This could get scary. Ally thought to herself. I might have to wait for the sun to rise higher.

The sound of movement behind Ally caught her attention. She quickly checked her spell to see if it was still working. It wasn't. Ally quickly opened up her belt pouch and grabbed one of the three crosses that were in there. She grasped it firmly in her hand and turned around to face whoever or whatever was behind her.

It was a deer. A small deer, to be exact. It stared at Ally like she was some kind of nutcase before bouncing away through the trees. Ally sighed, relieved it wasn't a vampire. It was Dumah's brood that had toyed with her when she was younger, so she was very tense.

She was about to put the hiding spell back on herself when she smelled Death in the air. She gripped the cross even tighter and glanced about herself, trying to see where the vampire was.

A blow from behind caught Ally off guard. She fell forward, landed on her knees, then quickly jumped back up only to find she was facing off with the ugliest vampire she had ever seen. It was also one of the vampires that had raped her when she was younger.

"Well, well, well. Look what I found. The same little girl I found not too long ago. Come back for more?" The vampire sneered. 

Ally's fear quickly turned into anger. "What have you done with Raevin?" She demanded.

"Oh, the little ghost girl?" the vamp asked. "Why, we've been… playing… with her. Care to join us?"

"Sure. Let's have a go now." Ally smirked. She took out her falchion and tossed it from hand to hand. She was thankful she had spent some time around the guards at the village.

"If that is your wish." The vampire replied. He bared his fangs at Ally and jumped at her, clawing at her neck.

Ally ducked in time to avoid a fatal blow. She swung her sword around to cleave the vamp's head from his neck, but the attack was blocked. She swung again, either missing or getting blocked again. One swing sank her falchion deep into a nearby tree. Ally did her best to try and remove her sword from the tree, but it was stuck there.

"Would you like a help with that?" The vampire taunted. He lunged at Ally again, and grasped her firmly by the shoulders. He leaned forward to sink his fangs into Ally's neck, but her squirming caused him to bite her shoulder instead.

Ally almost screamed in pain, but quickly stifled the sound. She used the last of her strength to yank her sword free from the tree, and in the same motion brought the blade down on her attacker's neck. The head rolled freely across the forest floor as the body dropped to the ground.

Ally gasped for breath and used the tree as support. Her shoulder bled from the vampire's bite, but the worst part was that she was beginning to feel a tingle in her mouth. In mere moments, fangs had replaced Ally's human canines, and her limbs had grown cold. She retreated farther into the shadows to avoid any light, and she collapsed onto the ground, shaking with anger and tears. "No…" She moaned. She threw the cross in her hand aside, then ripped off her belt pouch and tossed that away as well. "So much for using the vampires weaknesses against them, now they are my own as well." She murmured. Her shoulder ached terribly, and she wasn't sure what to do. 

Tiredness overcame Ally as she began to slip into a deep sleep. It wasn't death, that much she knew. She just needed to rest, and her body was already undergoing changes. She had grown fangs, but she knew it would be some time before her hands developed talons.

"Raevin…. Hold on." Ally groaned. She ground her teeth as she fell asleep.

***

Raevin winced suddenly, waking up and feeling a sharp pain in her shoulder. She pulled back her shirt to see a red mark on the fleshy part of her shoulder, almost as if someone had slapped her there. "What the…" Raevin squinted at the mark. "Where did that come from?" She asked herself. A small gash appeared on the mark, and it began to bleed and hurt even more. "Wonderful." Raevin muttered, using a scrap of cloth from the floor to press against her unusual wound. "Why is this happening to me?"

(Author's note: Yes, things happened a bit fast here, but I'm starting to reach a writer's block. So bear with me, alright? It'll come together…. I think.)


	7. Getting Raevin Out

Yes, I know. An unusual turn of events.

Yes, the other vampires will be coming in. Yes, vampire Raziel and Soul Reaver Raziel will eventually make an appearance. (It was Dumah that caught Raevin first.) Work with me, here.

Finally, to answer a question I'm sure some of you are wondering, and one that my sister herself asked: Yes, Raevin and Ally have a thing going on, but for the present it's a friendship. So keep your mind outta the gutter! :P

Disclaimer: I own nothing by Eidos. Raevin, Ally, Ectoplasm, and Vogel are property of… me.

Also, this chapter will probably be focused more on Ally than Raevin, but I'll try to squeeze Raevin in here… and I've kinda reached my writer's block. ::fidgets::

~Raevin~

*******

Ally woke up suddenly. Her shoulder ached, her head ached, and her jaws weren't feeling to good. She felt stiff, and she wasn't in the best of moods anymore. "I still have to get Raevin…" She said, standing up on shaky legs. She retrieved her sword and headed back to Dumah's lair.

***

Raevin was pushed back into her cell after another encounter with the fledgling groups. This was getting a bit difficult. She was feeling weak, and she often found herself in a lethargic state when trying to rest. 

"I don't know how much more of this I can take." Raevin said, leaning against the stone wall. 

***

Ally crept closer to the entrance to Dumah's lair. There were only two guards there, so Ally sat down again and tried to figure out how to shift forms.

She closed her eyes and concentrated on trying to change. She had heard stories of vampires able to change into red mists, or wolves, or bats. Now, she was going to figure out if any of it was true.

Ally felt herself grow warmer, then a bit hot. Her body began to tingle as she started to shrink and grow transparent, dissolving into a red mist.

Well, the red mist part was true… Ally thought to herself as she pulled her misty body together, becoming a small red cloud about the size of a small plate. She floated high above the vampire guards, then sneaked in through the entrance behind them. That wasn't so hard. Ally thought again as she looked for a place to change back.

She found a small room, and carefully looked around to see if anyone was there. Not seeing human nor vampire, she quickly turned back to her human… vampire… body.

"Caw!" Came a very raven-like voice from a dark lump on the table in the room.

Ally blinked and walked over to the lump. Upon closer inspection, she realized it was a bird cage covered with a black blanket. Ally removes the blanket to see the raven, who's feathers were a bit battered.

"Oh, you poor thing." Ally said, opening the cage and letting Vogel out. The raven gladly jumped out, then climbed up onto Ally's arm to her shoulder. "So, you're the raven that follows Raevin around, right?" The bird preened some feathers. "Must be. Let's go find Raevin and Ectoplasm."

Ally peeked out the door to make sure no vampire was patrolling the halls, then sneaked out with a very quiet Vogel on her shoulder. She peeked around every corner she came to, and avoided all the vampires.

Ally and Vogel eventually found the cells. They searched the cells and found mostly skeletons or rotting corpses. At the end of the hall, they found who they were looking for.

***

Raevin was curled up in her corner when she heard an annoying scratching sound. Thinking it was a vampire coming for her again, she growled and opened her eyes, glaring at whoever was at her cell door.

Raevin blinked when she saw Ally. "How'd you find me?" Raevin asked, still not believing her own two eyes.

"I followed you when Dumah and his brood caught you. I had a spell cast on me to keep me hidden." Ally smiled and kicked at the door's lock. The rusted lock broke easily, and Ally pulled the door open. She grinned again and stepped into the cell to help Raevin up.

Raevin drew back from Ally upon noticing her fangs. "I thought the vampires hadn't bitten you." She said.

"They didn't. Not the ones that gave me my scar." Ally replied. "I got this several hours ago when one of Dumah's guards found me. It tried to bite my neck, but it missed and bit my shoulder, instead." She pulled back her shirt collar to reveal a bite mark on her shoulder, the same place where Raevin got her unusual wound. "It didn't live long enough to draw a lot of blood. But I am a vampire, I'm afraid. I have the fangs, and I won't risk stepping into the sunlight."

Raevin stood up slowly, still keeping an eye on Ally's fangs. "Why are you helping me?" She asked. Vogel cawed from Ally's shoulder, as if annoyed.

"Because I care, and because I consider you my friend." Ally replied simply, tapping Vogel on the beak.

Raevin fidgeted, still wary. The sound of footsteps, though, got her attention. "We better hurry, then. Someone's coming." Raevin said. Leading the way out, she added, "Just, please, don't bite me." Ally giggled, then followed Raevin out of the cell.


	8. Trial One: Trial by the Sun

Grrr, terrible writer's block. ::sniffles::

I didn't think Ally would become a vampire either, it was a spur of the moment kind of thing. Interesting change, though. Gotta admit that. But I have a surprise, just gotta find a place to put the surprise in. ;) And this is a dang short chapter… sorry, this is a nasty writer's block. But I swear, I'll get it fixed! 

Disclaimer: Eidos and all it owns is not mine. Raevin, Ally, Ectoplasm, and Vogel are mine.

~Raevin~

*******

Raevin, Ally, and Vogel went through the halls with amazing speed. Raevin was acting purely on instinct and memory, and if something wasn't right, she made them all turn around. "We need to find Ectoplasm." Raevin whispered to Ally, who nodded in response.

Sometimes, though, Raevin didn't always listen to her instincts. When she should have gone down one hallway instead of another, she would run into a vampire. If Ally was fast enough, she'd grab Raevin and pull her behind a pillar or into a small, empty room, where they would wait for the vampire to pass. If Ally wasn't fast enough, they were forced to kill the vampire as quickly as possible to avoid being caught by others who noticed any noise.

The girls eventually reached another holding area of sorts, but it reminded them of a large, underground barn. Stalls stood in rows throughout the area, and tack and equipment lined the walls. Black horses, brown horses, gray and painted ones occupied the stalls. But at the very end of the cavern, a large stall containing a pure white stallion with a black mane and tail stood, snorting and pawing the ground.

"Ectoplasm!" Raevin whispered, and walked quickly to her ghost horse. "It's okay, I'm here. We're gonna get you out of here." Ally was soon by her side, helping her force the door open. Vogel flew up to a wooden beam above them, as if to keep watch.

Raevin and Ally worked quickly, leading Ectoplasm out and keeping him still. Fortunately, Dumah's kin had stored Raevin's weapons with her horse, so it made finding everything easier. "Are these vampires always this… unintelligent?" Raevin asked Ally in a whisper. She grin and nodded, keeping her giggle silent.

Raevin climbed onto Ectoplasm's back, then pulled Ally up behind her. Ectoplasm danced around a bit, then crow-hopped, apparently not pleased with having Ally on his back. "C'mon, Ectoplasm, just this once." Raevin begged. Ectoplasm snorted, shook his head, then started walking.

"Where exactly do you think you are going with my horse?" A voice asked from behind them. Raevin spun Ectoplasm around and saw what appeared to be Dumah.

"Your horse?" Raevin sneered. "Good luck riding him. Haven't noticed he's a ghost, now have you?"

Dumah smirked. "Oh, human, but I have. Which is why he is mine." The vampire lord reached a taloned hand out to grab hold of Ectoplasm's bridle, but the great white ghost stallion reared up and pawed at him, forcing him to step back to avoid getting hit. Dumah bared his fangs and swung his clenched fist at Ectoplasm's head. His fist passed through Ectoplasm's muzzle, and the horse promptly bit his fist.

Raevin turned Ectoplasm around and the horse carried Raevin and Ally through the halls. The two girls swung their blades at any vampire they passed, and they were closely followed by Vogel, who was cawing something that sounded very much like "Vampire Sssslayers kill!" Neither of the girls were able to understand him above his cawing and the vampires screams of anger and pain.

As soon as the group reached the exit, however, they found they had another problem. The sun was out, and it blocked their path. They couldn't cross with Ally.

"What do we do?" Ally asked, a hint of fear in her eyes.

Raevin ground her teeth. She jumped off of Ectoplasm's back and pulled Ally with her. She whistled to her horse and Vogel, and the two took off into the forest. "I'll fight. Stay against the wall behind me, and don't step into the sun." Raevin said.

But as she turned to face the vampires, she realized that she was severely outnumbered. Bile from her stomach traveled up her throat due to her fear, but she kept it down and stood her ground.

"No!" Ally cried. "You'll get killed!" She grabbed Raevin by the wrist and pulled her with her out into the sun.


	9. A Threat Unto Itself: Raevin and Ally t...

Hi! I know, last chapter was pretty bad, but I'm working on it!

Let's see… Yeah, Vogel talks, but that's only because people have said that ravens are like parrots in that they can imitate words. And just to let everyone know, I will have Vogel become a smart-arse. Like back talking Raevin.

Hmm… These Trials should be interesting if I don't run into another block… but hey, I try.

Disclaimer: Eidos and all of it's stuff is not mine. I own Ally, Raevin, Ectoplasm, and Vogel.

~Raevin~

******

Raevin bit back a yell as Ally stepped out into the sun. She stared, expecting Ally to burst into flames, and writhe and fall lifeless to the ground.

It didn't happen.

Ally stared down at herself, waiting to burst into flames. The advancing vampires had all come to a screeching halt, and were staring after them with a look of pure hatred. They hissed and bared their fangs and bashed their claws or weapons against the wall, the ground, and their armor. They weren't willing to risk running out into the sun just to kill a couple of girls who had the dumbest luck imaginable to get away from them.

Raevin blinked in complete and utter surprise while her friend stood there, alive and completely healthy. The hissing and screeching vampires snapped her back into reality… if it was reality. She grabbed Ally by the arm and pulled her into the forest. The two started running as fast as they could, and when they reached the remains of the forest tribe village they both collapsed to the ground. Raevin's chest burned, having not taken in enough oxygen while running.

"Why didn't I burn up?" Ally asked, panting.

Raevin shook her head. "I don't know… Did the vampire that bit you manage to take all of your blood?"

"No." Ally shook her head. "I killed him before he drank much."

Raevin frowned. "Has there ever been an account of a human being bitten by a vampire, but not having their blood drained?" Ally shook her head again. "Ally, I don't think you're a vampire."

Ally blinked. "What do you mean? I have the fangs… I changed forms to sneak into Dumah's lair…"

"Maybe the vampire bite only gave you the powers of the vampire, and not it's weaknesses." Raevin suggested. "Try shape shifting again."

Ally nodded and closed her eyes. After a few moments, her body shrank and her brown hair turned a grayish color. Her human body became that of a wolf's body. The she-wolf opened her eyes and looked at Raevin expectantly.

Raevin nodded. "You're a wolf. Change back." Ally quickly changed back to her somewhat human form, save for the vampire fangs.

"I'm still confused." Ally said. She leaned against a tree, and Vogel flew down from above and landed beside her. Ectoplasm was soon by Raevin's side, rumbling as he layed down.

Raevin ran a hand through Ectoplasm's black mane. "We'll figure it out. Until then, I think we need to get moving. Night will come, and Dumah's fledgling will be out."

Ally's eyes suddenly darkened. "The village… We need to warn them. If those Dumahim reach the village, they'll slaughter everyone."

Raevin grew pale. She finally understood what Charles and Anna had meant. When the Dumahim captured her, they must have guessed that she had come from Durikyn. That would cause them to travel to Durikyn and…

Raevin's stomach lurched at the thought. Ally saw her grow even paler, if it was possible. "We should hurry and get to Durikyn before dark. We need to warn them." Ally said, pulling Raevin to her feet. Ectoplasm stood up and allowed Raevin to climb on and pulled Ally after her. Vogel flew up into the air and followed them as Ectoplasm ran through the clearing and back into the forest.

The sun had just passed it's high point when the girls arrived at the village. A group of farmers were rounding up the cattle when they saw them coming. They dropped their tools, abandoned their cattle, and ran for the nearest gate. "Are they scared of both of us?" Raevin asked. Ally shrugged helplessly.

Ectoplasm galloped through the field and cleared the gate in one jump. He landed, then took off for the main part of Durikyn. All the people they passed jumped out of the way or tripped over something in their attempt to do so.

They reached the Town Hall, where terrified townsfolk had gathered. Apparently, news traveled fast here. Armored men had already begun to surround Raevin, Ally, and Ectoplasm. Vogel was nowhere to be seen; he was probably watching from the roof of the nearest building.

"Everyone! Please!" Ally yelled frantically. "The Dumahim are coming! They will be here soon after nightfall! You must leave!"

"Why should we believe you?" Berg asked, brandishing his axe but staying a good twenty feet away.

"Why else would we come back?" Raevin snapped, clearly annoyed. Here they were, about to be jumped by a dozen or so armored men, and no one was believing them when they were telling them that the Dumahim would be here after nightfall.

"Maybe you are leading vampires here!" One of the men yelled.

Raevin glanced up at the glaring sun. "Not unless vampires have become immune to the sunlight." She said. She spun Ectoplasm around and looked into the crowd. She didn't see Charles or Anna.

Ectoplasm reared and screamed as one of the men tried to swing at them. He pawed the air, then jumped over the heads of the men and ran to the edge of town. The men were running after them. "Raevin! The forest!" Ally said, gripping Raevin's shoulder and pointing at the dark trees. Ectoplasm sped towards the forest, and as the did, they passed Charles and Anna's house.

Raevin jumped off Ectoplasm and came to a rolling stop against a wood pile. Ectoplasm snorted and crow-hopped. "No! Go to the forest and stay with Ally!" Raevin commanded. Ectoplasm reared, but obeyed. Raevin jumped over the wood pile in time to hide from the men, and Ectoplasm once again ran for the forest.

After the men had passed, Raevin sneaked out of her hiding spot and quietly opened the door to Charles and Anna's house. She slipped inside, and quietly closed the door before turning around to look for Charles and Anna.

She came nose to nose with a very sharp looking sword.

Her eyes traveled up the blade to the hilt, then up the hand and arm holding the weapon. Her gaze met the very scared eyes of Charles. Her stomach lurched again as a thought struck her: What if Charles and Anna had become scared of her?

Her fear ebbed as Charles' face suddenly looked very old and tired. He dropped the sword and fell to his knees, sobbing. "I'm so sorry." He choked. "I thought it was the armored men from the village. They have done nothing but harass Anna and I since you left."

Raevin's gut twisted itself up as she knelt and hugged Charles. "You and Anna need to get out of here." She said. "Ally and I think the Dumahim will be here shortly after night. We think they believe I am from here."

Charles eyes regained their terrified glint. "Anna is ill. She has been ill since you left. Please, come quickly." He stood up and pulled Raevin after him to a bedroom.

Once in the bedroom, Raevin saw Anna's sickly form in the bed. Her skin had paled, and her hair was even whiter than it was before. She looked so frail, it took Raevin a great deal of effort to keep from breaking down and crying.

Anna slowly opened her eyes and looked at Raevin. She smiled weakly and held up a shaking hand. "You've come…. Back." Anna whispered. "You cannot stay… the town wants you… dead."

Raevin nodded slightly and took Anna's hand. "I know. Ally and I came back to warn Durikyn that the Dumahim would be here after dark. But no one's listening. I've come to take you both out of here. Maybe we can find another village where you will be safe."

Anna shook her head slowly, coughing. "No, child. Danger follows you closely. Whichever village you go near, danger and death will follow you." She smiled weakly, then started to cough fitfully. After she managed to stop, she took a few deep breath before continuing. "You are our legend."

"I won't let either of you die." Raevin said, squeezing Anna's hand. She turned to Charles. "Pack up a rucksack for both you and Anna. Bring only a few extra clothing items. Pack food. I can hear Vogel at the window. I'm going to send him out to get Ally, and she'll get a horse and a cart for the two of you." Raevin said. Charles nodded and set to work gathering a few clothing items for Anna and himself and food for a few days. He retrieved his sword and sheathed it, got Anna's staff, and set the items in the bedroom.

Meanwhile, Raevin went to the window and pushed it open. Vogel flew down from a tree and landed on the window sill. He cawed gently and looked at Raevin. "Vogel, go to Ally and try and get her to get a horse and cart ready. Have her bring it here. We're taking Charles and Anna away from Durikyn." Vogel cawed something that sounded like "Message deliverer!" and flew off towards the forest.

"I'd like to know how he's going to give her that message…" Raevin muttered. "I don't even know why I had a bird take a message to someone." She closed the window and started helping Charles gather things together. Unlit torches, flint, small barrels of water, etc. etc. They gathered only what they would need to be able to survive.

Soon, though, Raevin heard the almost silent creak of a wooden wagon and the footsteps of two horses. She opened the window again and saw Ectoplasm, followed by Ally. Ally had indeed somehow gotten Raevin's message, and she had managed to get a wagon and a horse. "Ready?" She asked, jumping down from the driver's seat.

Raevin nodded her answer. She began handing Ally the supplies she and Charles had gathered. Somehow, Ally managed to organize the stuff neatly in the covered wagon. After the items came several armloads of thick blankets and a few pillows. Ally arranged these in a bedlike style for Anna. Charles and Raevin lifted Anna off the bed and carried her to the window. Ally and Charles held Anna while Raevin climbed out the window and helped Ally carry Anna to the wagon. They placed her on the blankets, rested her head against the pillows, and covered her with another blanket. 

Charles had soon joined them. He had apparently decided to wear his old armor, which consisted of brigand mail and arm and leg braces. He climbed in and sat next to Anna, and placed his sword and the staff next to him.

"Ally and I will take you as far as we dare. From there, you'll have to drive, Charles." Raevin said. "Lead us in the direction of another village, and we'll take you there. We will have to stay far enough so that vampires do not decide to attack the village." Charles nodded, stern faced.

Ally climbed back onto the driver's bench and Raevin closed the cloth 'doors' of the covered wagon. After climbing into Ectoplasm's saddle, Ally handed Raevin her lance. "Let's go. The sun is setting." Ally said. She clicked to the brown draft horse pulling the wagon, and they started off down a rarely used path that was conveniently located near the house. Raevin followed on Ectoplasm, and Vogel stood beside Ally on the bench.

"We need to put as much distance between us and the vampires by the time night comes." Raevin said. She noticed a few families had actually listen to her warning; the families had formed small bands of sorts, and were making their way out of the village. The groups went on separate paths, but those that saw Raevin and Ally leaving waved and smiled their thanks. Even a few of the armored men had listened, and each traveling group had at least one armored soldier with them. One man saw Raevin, but instead of running after her, nodded and continued helping the group he was with.

Raevin looked back at the village with a heavy heart. There were still people there that weren't leaving. But she had done what she could. Yes, this event would stay with her and burn a hole in her heart, but if she kept trying to make them leave she could be killed.

Ally gazed at her friend with concern. Since Ectoplasm was not walking all that far from the wagon, she was able to reach over and place a hand on Raevin's knee. "There is nothing else we can do. All we can do is hope for the best." She said. Raevin smiled slightly at her words, but her eyes continued to keep their guilty and depressed look.

(A/N: Hahah! No writer's block for this one!)


	10. Empty Eyes

Hi!

I think I've shocked myself at how good this story is turning out. I'm working on thinking up a new Trial for Ally and Raevin to get through, but until then we're gonna stick with getting Raevin's adoptive grandparents to a safe place.

Disclaimer: Don't own Eidos, Soul Reaver, Blood Omen, whatever. I do, however, own Ally, Raevin, Ectoplasm, and Vogel.

Oh, I think I'm going to get another 'bad-ass' chick to join Ally and Raevin. Charlie's' Angles with a twist! ::evil grin:: I'm kidding by the way… about the Charlie's' Angels part. Am trying to sneak in member number 3 to keep Ally and Raevin in line. ::ducks::

~Raevin~

*****

Ally and Raevin led the wagon down the path, away from the village. They stayed away from the forest, and by the time night fell, they had found a cave to take shelter in. They brought the horses into the cave and Raevin gathered firewood for a fire. Ally helped Charles make Anna comfortable on the cave floor.

Raevin gathered enough wood to make a decent sized fire and have extra wood for the night. She soon had the fire going, and Charles was helping Anna to drink some water. Ectoplasm stood near the mouth of the cave with Vogel, as if keeping watch. The horse that had been pulling the wagon was allowed freedom from the wagon, but was tied to a heavy rock to keep it from wandering off.

Raevin kept watch with Ectoplasm and Vogel while Ally helped Charles and Anna. At one point, Raevin glanced over her shoulder to see how everyone was doing, she would see Ally taking care of Anna like a mother would take care of a sick child. Either that, or Ally would be talking with Charles about Durikyn before all of this had happened, or of just the seasons or whatever people who lived their entire lives in the remote country side talked about.

She smiled and turned her attention back to the forest outside. Rain had begun to fall, and she could tell the climate outside was cold and damp. Anna was in no condition at all to travel in that kind of weather, but fortunately it was warm and dry inside the cave.

Raevin was leaning against Ectoplasm and had started to fall asleep when she felt a hand touch her hip. She jumped and quickly tensed up, but was then quickly calmed by Ally's whispering voice. "Shhh, it's just me." Ally whispered. Raevin relaxed a bit, leaning back against Ally and staring out into the rain. Ally rested her chin on Raevin's shoulder, and Ectoplasm snorted and tossed his head as if asking for some attention as well. Raevin chuckled and scratched Ectoplasm under the chin. Letting her hand rest on Ectoplasm's shoulder, her gaze wandered over to Durikyn's general direction. 

Even through the rain, Raevin could see the smoke and the soft glow of the fires started when the Dumahim attacked Durikyn. Raevin shuddered, nauseated at the thought of the fates of the people that hadn't left the town. She pressed herself closer to Ally, and Ectoplasm gave a rumble of concern.

"I know, I see it too." Ally said, hugging Raevin. "We did our best, at least some families left. But…" Ally's voice caught in her throat. "I knew almost everyone in Durikyn. Some of those people were the closest I had to family…" Ally stopped talking as she started to cry. Raevin ground her teeth, unsure of what to do for her friend. Ectoplasm laid down and nickered, and Raevin sat down and pulled Ally with her. Leaning against Ectoplasm, Raevin let Ally lean against her and cry herself to sleep. All Raevin was able to do was hold Ally and shed silent tears for those slain or captured by the Dumahim.

***

The morning sunlight crept into the cave, waking Raevin up from an almost comfortable slumber. The only thing that had kept it from being completely comfortable was the hard ground on her rear and the thoughts she kept having of Durikyn.

Ally, on the other hand, appeared to have slept very well. Using Raevin's shoulder as a pillow and managing to somehow end up sitting in Raevin's lap, she had slept soundly. The nightmares of Durikyn and her past encounter with the Dumahim had kept her from sleeping better. Raevin discovered that Ally was bony and far from light.

Raevin gently shook Ally awake. "Hey, wake up." She whispered. "It's morning, we need to start moving again." Ally stirred slightly, murmuring incoherently. Raevin shook her a bit harder.

"Okay…. I'm up." Ally finally mumbled. She stood up, stretched, then helped a stiff and sore Raevin to her feet. "Sorry." Ally said, fidgeting. "My dad use to say I was pretty bony, too." Raevin chuckled and shook her head slowly, stretching her sore muscles and stiff limbs. Ectoplasm had stayed up all night, not needing sleep because he was a ghost. Vogel was perched on a rocky crag, head tucked close to his feathery chest.

Raevin went to check on Anna and Charles. Both had slept peacefully in the comfort of the large amounts of blankets. She woke them both up, helping Charles to his feet and Anna to a sitting position.

"I saw Durikyn burning. From the mouth of the cave." Raevin said softly, with a hint of guilt that refused to remain hidden.

Anna nodded sadly. "You did what you could, child." She said. "There will always be someone who would be vain enough not to listen to a warning. There was nothing you could have done."

Raevin sighed, not being able to shake off the guilt. _If I hadn't escaped from the Dumahim, Durikyn would still be safe._ She thought to herself. 

Ally soon joined them, bringing Vogel and Ectoplasm with her. "I can smell the burning." She said. "Let's get ready to go." 

Ally and Raevin reloaded the wagon and hitched it up to the draft horse. Anna was put back in the wagon with the blankets, and Charles followed. "There is a village about a week's time from Durikyn. You can get to it by following the path we took yesterday." Charles said. Ally climbed into the driver's bench and Raevin jumped into Ectoplasm's saddle, and the group headed out into the daylight.

They traveled for several hours before stopping at the banks of a river with calm, crystal clear waters. "One of Nosgoth's few clean rivers." Ally explained. "The Hunters have apparently kept the vampires from poisoning this one. We can stop here." Raevin nodded and helped to tie the horse to a tree near the river so it could drink.

Ally and Raevin unloaded some food and water, and refilled any empty canteens. The group ate in silence, though Raevin hardly ate at all. She still remembered the scene she had seen from the night before, and it made her sick to her stomach. She chewed her seemingly tasteless food, then lost interest in it as she gave the rest of her bread and jerky to Vogel, who cawed happily while he ate it. Raevin stood up and walked over to the river, leaning against a nearby tree.

"Do you know what is wrong with her?" Charles asked Ally, who looked after Raevin with concern.

"I have no idea." Ally answered, reluctantly returning her attention to her meal.

"She is confused." Anna said softly. "I do not know what confuses her, but she is confused and scared…. You can see it in her eyes."

Ally frowned and looked back at Raevin in time to see her looking at her. All she saw were a pair of deep but almost soulless blue-green eyes, like pits of calm seawater with no plant or animal life in them at all….


	11. Balance Bringer

Yes, I'll eventually get that third girl in here, but until then we've got Raevin, Ally, and the others.

These next few chapters are probably going to be the gang's views on everyone else: Yes, Vogel and Ectoplasm get their say in this, too. I'm not sure how I'm supposed to pull off looking in the minds of a raven and a ghost horse, but I'm pretty sure I can manage.

Disclaimer: I own Ally, Raevin, Ectoplasm, and Vogel. That's it.

~Raevin~

***********

After a few days of traveling, Raevin, Ally, Charles, and Anna came to another cave. They did the same as the had done the day they first spent the night in a cave. It was still daylight; in fact, it was in the middle of the afternoon. But Raevin and Ally had gone as far as they could go, and they didn't dare go any farther. The nearby town, called Warsurge, was known for its impressive fighters. Many of them became Vampire Hunters, and the rest became guards.

Nearby was a somewhat clean lake. Raevin wouldn't drink from it… well, she would, but only after she has boiled away any deadly germs in it. 'This is a good spot to see how much of a vampire Ally really is.' Raevin thought to herself.

"Thank you for taking us this far." Anna said to Raevin and Ally. "Charles and I can make it to Warsurge from here." Anna had regained much of her former health. She was able to stand upright, walk around, and pretty much do things without much assistance.

Raevin smiled. "You're welcome. I wish there was more we could do for you."

Charles laughed and shook his head. "Oh, child, you've done enough for us already." He said and hugged Raevin tightly.

As he did, a sharp pain rammed itself through Raevin's brain. The pain was coming from her chest, where she still wore the blackened glass piece. She ground her teeth and made sure no one noticed what she was feeling.

Charles helped Anna up into the wagon, then he climbed onto the drivers bench. "Be well, you two. Perhaps we'll meet again." He said, then drove the horse and wagon out of the cave.

As soon as Charles and Anna were out of eye and ear range, Raevin doubled over in pain. Ally shrieked and caught Raevin as she fell. "Raevin!" was what Raevin last heard before she blacked out.

***

Ally had placed Raevin on a rock slab, and had folded their jackets together to make a kind of pillow for Raevin's head. But she couldn't figure out what had happened. She knew she couldn't dwell on it for long; she had to force Raevin to drink at least. Eating was out of the question, because Raevin was completely unconscious. 

***

Raevin dreamt as she slept. It seemed to her she was just… floating. She wasn't in water, not that she could tell, but she didn't seem to be in space, either. "Where am I? Am I dead?" Raevin asked out loud. 

"Child….." A voice called out. Raevin spun around as best as she could to see who had called her. 

"Who's there? Show yourself!" Raevin yelled. She was beginning to lose her nerve.

"Child…. Who is not from Nosgoth…." The voice said again.

"Yeah, I know I'm not from Nosgoth. Show yourself, I've got a short temper!" Raevin yelled back. Not only was this unnerving, but she was getting a tad bit annoyed.

"You must defeat Kain…. And his six sons…." The voice called again. "You are the Winterwolf, the White Phantom. You hold the key for an Eternity of Balance."

"Where are you? What are you talking about?" Raevin asked, trying to spin around to see everything and know what was where. If she could see something besides black.

"I am everywhere and nowhere…" the voice replied. "You are to bring Balance to Nosgoth… an Eternity of Balance."

"Nosgoth's got enough Balance; thank you for the offer." Raevin snapped. "Now give me a straight answer!"

"Oh, child…" The voice crooned. "Your answer is coming."

In her 'dream', the glass shard around Raevin's neck began to glow. It flew out of her shirt and pulled the cord off from around Raevin's neck. It's razor-sharp point turned and pointed at Raevin's heart. It circled her, then stopped, pointing at her right arm.

***

Ally watched Raevin's unconscious body carefully, trying to figure out where the black glow was coming from. She saw the glow all over her body, but she couldn't for the life of her pinpoint the exact location.

She quickly got her answer as something appeared to be moving under Raevin's shirt. Ally's hand moved to see what it was when it literally flew out of Raevin's shirt. It was a pitch black glass shard that had a leather cord strung through it. It flew into the air, pulling the cord over Raevin's head. It circled Raevin's body, as if examining her.

Ally growled, baring her fangs. She didn't know what was going on, but she got the feeling she wasn't going to like it. She brought out her sword and swung at the glass shard. Ally gaped as she watched the blade bounce off as if it had hit solid metal. She couldn't understand it.

She stopped trying to understand it, though, when the glass target Raevin's arm and shoved itself through the flesh.

***

Raevin screamed in her dream as the shard pierced her right arm. Her left hand shot up to try and tear the shard from her arm, but by the time her hand reached the spot, the shard had left and was spinning around her again. She cursed violently and examined her arm. She knew she was dreaming, but it was a habit and she really had felt it.

***

Ally screamed and snatched the shard out of Raevin's arm. The glass tore itself from her hand, and started to circle again. "What kind of magick is this?" Ally asked herself. "This cannot be magick… whatever it is, it is evil."

***

Raevin looked at her arm and saw a very familiar looking symbol drawn onto her flesh. There was no hole, no wound, no blood. Just the symbol.

It was a yin-yang, with a feather for the squiggle. The feather was gray in the middle, and black on the ends that were on the white side. The ends on the black side were white. Two feathers hung down from the bottom, and they looked like the squiggle feather.

Raevin muttered, and tried to rub the symbol off. Even in her dream, it didn't come off. "You know, I did want a tattoo…. But not one from a tattoo artist I couldn't see." She muttered.

***

Ally growled savagely and glared at the black glass shard. She swung her sword at it again and missed. She kept swinging until she had hit the glass more than once. The glass remained whole, without even a scratch. Ally's sword, on the other hand, had several notches on the blade. "Wonderful." Ally muttered, furious that she couldn't knock the floating glass out of the air. "What am I supposed to do?"

***

Raevin glared angrily at the black shard. Her arm was feeling numb, and she was thankful for it because it kept her from feeling any pain. "What's you're game!?" Raevin yelled. She couldn't wake up from this dream, and she didn't know why.

"Balance….." The voice said. "You must…. Bring Balance for Eternity…"

"Does this involve that glass cutting me anymore?"

"You must bring Balance…" The voice said as the glass shard flew for the back of Raevin's right shoulder.

***

Ally eyed the glass warily as it circled Raevin again. She lashed out again with her sword, hit, and watched as her sword flew out of her hand and imbedded itself in the rock of the cave.

"Oh, by the eyes of…" Ally mumbled, glaring at her notched, stuck sword. "What else?" She watched the shard circle Raevin, and she was getting very angry. She picked up a rock about the size of a saucer and threw it at the shard. The rock hit the glass squarely on the edge, and bounced off. "What is that made of?" Ally asked.

The shard floated down to Raevin's right shoulder. Since she was laying on her back, it couldn't reach the spot it was supposed to. Instead, it touched the top of her shoulder, then fell to the ground like the lifeless piece of glass it was.

***

Raevin screamed, whirling around to try to snatch the glass from her back. It burned terribly, and she wanted it out. "Stupid, useless, piece of-" Raevin cursed violently, finally tearing the shard out of her shoulder. "I don't know what your game is, but I'm not playing it!" Raevin spat. _This is my dream, why the hell can't I wake up?_ She thought to herself.

"Do not think I cannot hear you, Balance Bringer." The voice said again. "Awaken into the living world and bring Balance…" The space around Raevin swirled with bright colors that made her head hurt. The colors spun faster and faster until they blended together to make a murky black. Suddenly, the black turned to a bright white that not only made Raevin's head hurt even more, but made her queasy as well.

***

Ally squinted at the shard before kneeling beside Raevin. She shook Raevin gently. "Raevin… Raevin, wake up." Ally pleaded.

Raevin groaned and stirred slightly. She clenched her jaw tightly, then slowly opened her eyes. Raevin realized that was a nasty mistake, because her eyes and brain screamed at her for being insolent. She quickly shut her eyes again. "What happened?" She asked quietly. Her right arm and shoulder hurt a lot, and she could feel it through the numbness in her head.

"That's what I'd like to know." Ally said. "This… shard. It stabbed you in the arm. It was floating… nothing was holding it…"

Raevin ground her teeth and carefully opened her eyes. She slowly turned her head to her right and used her left hand to lift the sleeve of her shirt up.

The mark was there.

Raevin scowled and shut her eyes again, letting her hand fall to the ground. "I'm tired…." she sighed. "I need to rest…" With that, she fell into a deep sleep filled with dreams of ghost horses, talking ravens, vampires, and darkness…

(A/N: yes, crappy chapter. Confusing, no sense what so ever. But with, it works. I'll try to come up with something better. Please, no questions. I think this chapter will make sense in the future.)


	12. Raevin's Mind

Okay!

Yeah, there is a second mark on the back of Raevin's right shoulder. Forgot to sneak that part in there.

These chapters here will be the views the chars have on random things. Like Ectoplasm's views on Vogel… or Ally. You know they'll all be good for Raevin. :P

Disclaimer: Do not own Eidos, Soul Reaver, Blood Omen, anything LoK. I do own Ally, Raevin, Vogel, and Ectoplasm.

**********

All this is so confusing….

I mean, one moment, I was at home, sleeping. Had another Dream, woke up… and sensed It. A vampire… they weren't supposed to be real… It was horrible, I could feel the evil energy before I could see it… I could smell it. And then I saw it. Plagued flesh, fangs, claws, the eyes… empty eyes of hate and hunger… terrible combination.

I acted on pure instinct… Human instinct… no, desire, to survive. The moment I fought, that was instinct. An instinct awakened after millions of years of slumber. The speed and time that it took for it to wake up though… that was not normal. Few people are able to wake up that ancient instinct and use it in mere minutes.

After the fight… the look of the rec room… it scared me so bad. I thought that it might have somehow gotten upstairs and hurt my family. Or worse… at least Finn could tell me everything was all right. At least I could understand him. But, the condition of the room… nothing can take a sofa that size and tear it up enough so that I could pick up a piece with one hand. No earthly thing could… but, apparently, a vampire can. But… I still don't know how it could have come to be. My Playstation… it couldn't have come through it… could it?

The glow from the television… that startled me, too. I mean, broken TV's, especially one that's -that- broken, just don't glow. And they don't glow like that, either. They just don't. It's not natural.

And I don't know what hit me in the head… it was hard… most likely sharp on one end. Probably a rock. That's sad, being taken out by a rock…. Especially one that was flying.. Maybe thrown… how can light throw?

When I woke up in the field, I didn't know anything… I mean, I remembered my name, but I didn't know where I was. I was surrounded by horses, the smells and sounds were very different from home. And I only had five horses at home. Then, I was surrounded by some twenty or so horses of brown, black, gray, paint, pinto… all different colors. Ectoplasm was the only white horse.

Heheheh, Ectoplasm… what a strange word. But it fit him. I mean, he really was a ghost. He proved it to me. Passed through a stall door, then through me. He was never dirty, or wet, or tired, or hungry, or thirsty. He was just there. I was able to move with him better than I was ever able to with my own horse. He went where I wanted to, as fast as I wanted to, with no qualms about it at all. I barely had to pull on the reign and he'd just go. Didn't even tap him with my heel, and he went faster. It was like he was inside my mind, as if he could hear my every thought and feel my every emotion. That horse… protected me. When I had woken up, he laid beside me and let me sleep leaning against his flank. He kept every moving thing away while I slept. 

Charles and Anna… like my own grandparents. They treated my wounds, nurtured me back to health, gave me new clothes, and provided me with everything I needed. Charles even sharpened my sword for me when I was sleeping. And the head on my lance. He did a good job, too. In the time I spent with them, they taught me so much. Charles taught me several different ways to tie rope. Never thought I'd use it, but I guess I will now. Anna let me help mend clothing and cook. They taught me so much, I don't think I can remember it all. I'll do it when I need to, but then I'd probably wonder how I knew how.

Vogel… that stupid bird. Well, not stupid. Just annoying. But I'm glad to have him around. He's clever, very smart. I used a piece of string and tied it around a small piece of food. I tied the string to a branch and had Vogel figure out how to get it. It didn't take long, he just pulled it up. I don't have a container like a test tube to use with him, but oh well. He can talk… kind of. Say a few words. 'Slayersss kill!' seems to be a favorite. He may not have a pretty voice, but he has very beautiful feathers. Glossy black, very shiny. Almost as if they had been a black metal polished by a professional. Alert eyes. No, he is far from stupid. But he can be annoying. But then, he's a bird. Is Vogel even a he?

Ally… oh dear. She confuses me… Why do I have these feelings for her? I mean, very strong feelings. I want her as something more than friend… eh, damn my orientation. It will be the end of me one of these days…. She has beautiful green eyes, they sparkle like gems. I enjoy looking at them. If I'm not careful, though, I could lose myself in them. That's dangerous, you know. I think she has a hold on me like no other.

But all of this… what did the voice of my dream mean? Balance for Eternity… Balance comes about in its own way. And how did I get these markings?……………………………


	13. Vogel's Mind

Alrighty, then. Second chapter concerning the thoughts of a character. Tell me what you think!

Disclaimer: Do not own anything by Eidos. Ally, Raevin, Ectoplasm, and Vogel are mine.

*******

Where should I start?

Ah, I know. I start with that ghostie horse, Ectoplasma or whatever his name is. Okay. He's a horse… a dead one. Undead? I don't know, I'm a bird. Should I know? We have some things in common. We follow two humans. Kind of. I follow because I want to. Don't know why horse follows. Horse doesn't eat, doesn't sleep, doesn't drink. Doesn't do anything living horse do, doesn't even go bathroom, or whatever humans call it. I just lift tail feathers and go. All horse do is do what human want to.

Vogel talk, yes, talk a lot. I like to talk. Don't say much, humans would look at me odd. I am bird, after all. I caw, like a normal raven. Sometimes I say 'Slayers kill', but I can't keep from holding that end 's' out. Have no idea why. Maybe I will talk more to them. I did talk to human Ally when human Raevin said get horse and wagon. Ectoplasmafa or whichever he is called refused to pull wagon, so human Ally get different horse.

Human Ally… has spells. Strange spells. I undead bird too, but don't look or act like it. Not vampire, not zombie, maybe ghost. Not sure. Never seen human Ally's kind of magick. She has hiding spells, and healing spells, and transformation spells… no, transformation is vampire side. Ally part vampire, methinks. Got bit by vampire, but no drain blood. Stupid vampire never finished job. Head roll, go ahh! Ally got vampire look… not pale in skin, but got fangs. Can walk in sunlight, change body shape or shape shift or transform or something. She do mist, she do wolf. I want to see bat or something. Can vampires change into rats? Human Ally have eyes for human Raevin or something. I see how she look at her. But I didn't think humans of same kind looked at each other like that. Strange humans, maybe they tell Vogel when he ask?

Other humans… what did human Raevin call them? Oh, human Charles and human Anna. They okay. Normal humans, as far as normal as humans go. They teach human Raevin things, they kept human Raevin alive. Human Raevin repay kindness by taking them out of human town Durikyn before nasty vampires come to destroy. Human Raevin and human Ally make human Anna all healthy, human Anna was sick with something. Human Charles was dressed up like he was going to fight or something, had human weapon with him. When human Charles and human Anna leave, they take live, healthy horse and wagon. Human Raevin and human Ally probably staying in cave for a while. Rest up, get healthy, human things like that.

Human Raevin…. Not from here. No, not at all from here. She act strange around human Ally, look at her like human Ally look at her. Strange human. Human's glass thing attacked her, made marks on her arm and back or something. I see mark on back shoulder. All black, some sign. Must mean something. Other mark on arm look like circle with feather worm through the middle, making 's'. Black on one side with white dot, and white on other side with black dot. Feathers hang down from bottom of sign. That another sign, must mean something…………………………


	14. Ally's Mind

Third thought chapter, up! It's pretty short though, I seem to have had her ramble on anout Raevin a bit. ::ducks::

Disclaimer: Do not own anything by Eidos. You know the drill, I own Ally, Raevin, Vogel, and Ectoplasm.

**********

So strange… so strange indeed.

Vogel, what a strange bird. A raven, but a very smart one. He talks. I've never seen or heard a bird talk before, except when a merchant came to Durikyn during a festival we were having. He had a blue and red bird with a large beak and very long tail. It talk, repeated words, even appeared to hold a conversation with its owner, the merchant. He called it a 'parrot'. Vogel is a raven, though. Glossy black feathers, piercing eyes, sharp tongue. He talked to me, told me that Raevin needed a horse and wagon. Ectoplasm refused to pull the wagon, so I had to get a different horse. But that bird is very amusing. He managed to get a piece of food off some string Raevin had tied to a branch. He really is clever.

Ectoplasm… strange horse. He's dead… I think. He's a ghost. He's never dirty, or wet, or hot, or cold, he's never tired, hungry, thirsty, or sore. He seems to be able to read Raevin's thoughts; he does whatever she needs or wants him to, and I can never see her issuing the commands with her body. They can move as one, as is said about a true horse and rider. He will stand watch at night with Vogel while Raevin and I sleep. He will let Raevin sleep leaning against him while he lays on the ground. I have been told horses sleep standing and laying, I suppose it depends on the horse.

Charles and Anna… they seemed to treat Raevin as they would their own child or grandchild. They brought her back to health, from what they told me. They found her in a field, dressed in strange clothing. Ectoplasm was with her. They bandaged her wound, fed her, and gave her water. The next day or so, she was able to walk around with the help of a staff. Raevin and I took them out of Durikyn before the Dumahim got there. They love her dearly, I can tell they do. I never knew my parents, they left me in the forest when I was a girl. I lived with the forest tribe before I found my way to Durikyn, where I stayed with the innkeepers and worked for them in the tavern, inn, and barn. Charles and Anna gave Raevin new clothes, which I must admit they look good on her. White leather, with black designs. The shirt has short sleeves, unlike the regular shirts everyone else wears, and it's made of cotton. She wields her sword with considerable skill. She always seems hesitant to use it, though, sometimes even appears to feel off balance. And her ability to use her lance is incredible.

Oh my, I'm rambling on again. I suppose I could talk about Raevin for a long time. We met in the barn, where the village kept the horses. We talked a bit, I told her where I got my scar. I suggested she name Ectoplasm, who didn't have a name at the time. When she picked 'Ectoplasm', I asked what it was. She didn't seem annoyed that she had to explain it. In fact, her eyes and features seemed to light up when she told me. Ectoplasm… it's what makes up a ghost or wraith or spirit of some sort. I had not known that, I thought they were images the mind made up to explain something the person could feel and sense but not see. 

I… I seem to find her attractive. Girls are not supposed to feel like that about one another. Those who do are shunned by their community, sometimes prosecuted. Sometimes, though, they find happiness… it's rare though. I think I want to find this happiness with Raevin. She has the most beautiful blue-green eyes I have ever seen. They seem to change color though, from blue to green to a blend, then back again. The marks on her arm and shoulder… they look strange. Foreign. The glass shard around her neck cut her and gave them to her, but I haven't found a cut or blood. The glass itself seems to have lost its black color and appears to be the color of white flour now. I don't know what it did to her, but I know that it hurt her. I wish I had been able to stop it……………


	15. Ectoplasm's Mind

Last thought chapter for now.

You know how hard it is to get inside the mind of a bird? Or someone like Ally? It's hard, very hard. I really wish I could have done better on these chapters. Maybe I'll edit them later on; I'll say so when I do. And when I get some ideas. (Next chapter will be another Trial! Yay!)

Disclaimer: I do not own anything by Eidos, or anything LoK. I own Ally, Raevin, Vogel, and Ectoplasm.

*********

Cold… dark. That is what it was like when I became a ghost.

I died thousands of years ago in a war between humans. I believe it was an all-human war. But one side had fangs, they must have been what are called vampires.

At the time, I had no idea what was going on. All I knew was that I did as my master commanded: run this way, step that way, retreat however many paces and jump in whichever way I was running.

When I died…. Oh, it was horrible. The pain in my flank, the blood pouring from my chest… and my master left me. He left me on the ground, my beautiful white hide stained with horse, human, and 'vampire' blood. He let me die, he did not defend me as I was trampled and he did not try to save me. I lost my faith in everything human that day.

I awoke in a dark chamber. I stood… my wounds had healed. I thought I had died… no, I knew I had died. Where was I, I had no idea. I soon found I was able to pass through anything when I willed myself to. I practiced with the objects in the room, and soon dared to try to go through the walls.

It didn't take long for me to find my way into the open. I quickly learned how to make myself visible and invisible, and I had the living horses tell me if I was there or not. They were not afraid of me, why should they be? They knew I was a horse, they knew they had nothing to fear. I became a prince of the wild, so to speak. I walked the lands, having no need to rest or eat or sleep. I taunted humans by having them chase me into a forest, then I would disappear into the darkness. I would baffle them to no end, and it amused me each and every time.

I soon found the human village Durikyn; I felt as though I should stay there for some time. I made myself a member of the horse herd there, and I let no human touch me. Whenever the village humans came to care for the horses, I would stay back as far as possible and bare my teeth at any human who dared to come near.

The day the human girl Raevin came to Nosgoth, I had a dream. I was to find this human who was going to bring a balance of sorts to the realm. At first, I thought it just a dream; I wanted to trust in humans again, but I was not willing to go that far again. But I was dead, so did it matter? I went about the day as usual, led the herd into the pasture and mingled with them. Then I saw her on the ground.

I knew this was the human I was looking for. She didn't wear the same clothes that the humans there wore. Her sword did not look familiar; the handle looked to be in the form of a man. A sphere for a head, an arch going up for arms, a wooden torso, and an arch going down for legs. The blade started out being able to fit inside the leg arch, then it widened, then came to a point. Her lance looked plain, but it was not of any make that I had seen.

I laid with her and let her sleep against me. Her head was bloody, as if something had hit her, and at the time I did not know what name she went by. When dusk drew near, a group of humans came to gather the herd. The human Charles called, the horses went, but I stayed with Raevin. Charles, his mate Anna, and two fighter humans came to get me, and they found her. They took her, I went to the barn, and waited the night out.

The next day, Raevin came. I was able to get inside her mind. I discovered her name, her real one and the one she had chosen to go by. I learned what her home was like, what she knew… everything inside her mind. Her fears, her desires, I knew it all. I had all of her knowledge in my head in an instant.

When Raevin came into the barn, all but one of the girls tending the horses left. The girl introduced herself; her name was Ally. Ally and Raevin talked some, then Ally left. Raevin stayed for a time, talked to me even though I could not talk back. I proved to her that I was indeed a ghost, and she did not seem scared about it. I had found a human I could trust.

The humans Charles and Anna… they cared for Raevin, brought her back to health. I suppose they are decent humans. They are aged, I could tell by their scent. Raevin, Ally, and I took them away from Durikyn during the day before a vampire clan attacked the village. The Dumahim (the vampires) got to the village by nightfall. From what I could see (and smell) they destroyed everything, and took anything of value.

Ally… that human seems attracted to Raevin. I didn't think two females could be attracted to one another, but humans are strange creatures. Ally has spells that can heal and hide. I do not know much about her, but I can tell she is a decent human, and does truly care about my master, Raevin.

Vogel… what an annoying bird. Black as coal, and as shiny as silver worked by skilled hands. He caws, like a normal raven, but he can talk. Which is disturbing, to say the least. He is helpful, though. He delivered a message to Ally from Raevin speaking of needing a horse and wagon. I certainly wasn't going to pull that wagon. So, naturally, Ally had to get a different horse. She chose wisely, I will admit that. A strong young draft horse, able to pull hundreds of pounds behind him and even some on his back. Would make his sire proud…………


	16. Trial by Water: Cave Behind the Falls

Hey! Trial time! You know you've been wanting a new Trial for Ally, you have to admit it….

Disclaimer: I do not own Eidos, or Soul Reaver, or Blood Omen, or anything like that. I do, however, own Ally, Raevin, Vogel, and Ectoplasm.

~Raevin~

**********

Raevin slowly opened her eyes, and squinted against the glare of the sun coming in through the mouth of the cave. She turned her head slowly to one side, then the other, trying to get all of the kinks out of her neck. Reaching up, she grasped the rock wall with one hand and pulled herself up to a sitting position. She felt the pain in her right arm intensify, and she ground her teeth to keep from groaning.

She glanced around the cave, then carefully stood up and used the rock wall for support. Vogel was perched on a ledge right at the cave mouth, and Ectoplasm stood close to her. He nickered softly, and pushed his muzzle against Raevin's stomach. She smiled weakly, scratching him behind the ear and using him for support. "Where's Ally?" She asked, not expecting either horse or raven to answer.

"River." Vogel cawed. "Ally went to river." He screeched softly, then flew into the air and out of the cave. Raevin stared after Vogel and gave Ectoplasm a "I had no idea he could actually talk" look. Ectoplasm rumbled gently, then he and Raevin followed the black bird outside.

Vogel led Raevin and Ectoplasm down to the river, then up it a way. They came to a waterfall, as clean as the river it fed. Ally was sitting on a large boulder, gazing at the cascading water. Vogel flew down and landed beside her, and Ally glanced up when Ectoplasm whinnied.

"You're awake!" She exclaimed, jumping down from her rock and running to Raevin and Ectoplasm. Ally hugged Raevin tightly, then quickly released her when Raevin cringed. "Sorry." Ally apologized.

"It's alright." Raevin said. "It's just sore."

"I found a cave behind the waterfall." Ally began. "We can stay there a few days. I managed to get to it without touching the water."

Raevin thought for a moment. "You didn't try to get into the water? The sun doesn't hurt you, why should water?"

Ally fidgeted. "I didn't feel safe trying water without someone watching. Just in case it did burn." Vogel cawed from his perch. 

"I'll watch you. I can pull you out if anything goes wrong." Raevin offered. _I can't believe I just said that…_

"Yes… I'd like that." Ally said, smiling. She led the way to the pool that the waterfall fed. She knelt by the bank and carefully slid her hand into the clear water.

Nothing happened. Ally took a deep breath, then put her other hand into the water. Still nothing. She removed her boots and jacket, kept her pants and shirt on, and slipped her entire body under the water's surface.

Raevin watched as Ally tested the water. She stiffened when Ally submerged herself, then relaxed when she saw nothing bad was going to happen. _Ally: two. Vampire Weaknesses: zero._ She thought to herself.

"Come on!" Ally's call shook Raevin out of her thoughts. Ally grinned and motioned for Raevin to join her.

Raevin shook her head. "No, I don't think so."

"Oh, come on!" Ally said, still grinning. She splashed water at Raevin, who shrieked in protest and ducked behind Ectoplasm. The white horse snorted and shook his head, pawing the ground a bit.

"I'd like to stay dry." Raevin said, sticking her tongue out. The pain in her right arm and shoulder had gone down a bit, and she couldn't help but think that the cold water would probably feel good.

Ally sighed and shook her head. She climbed out of the water, grabbed Raevin, and proceeded to drag her to the water. "Hey!" Raevin yelled, twisting and thrashing. 

"Hold still, stop thrashing." Ally said, poking Raevin in the ribs. She grinned mischievously, then pushed Raevin into the water.

Raevin landed with a splash, and murmured thanks to Charles and Anna for somehow making her leather waterproof. She resurfaced quickly, coughing. "You little-" she said, looking for Ally. She had disappeared.

Strong arms wrapped themselves around Raevin's waist and pulled her deeper into the water. Raevin squirmed, then looked back at a snickering Ally. "Oh, relax. I'm not going to bite you." She said soothingly, nuzzling Raevin's neck. "And you've got to admit the water feels good."

Raevin sighed, keeping silent. She wasn't about to admit it, because it was true. "Alright, you win. I'll swim." Raevin finally said. Why fight a girl that had the strength of a vampire? That was lacking reasoning and common sense, no need to question it.

Ally smiled. "See? Was that so hard?" She asked. Raevin grumbled softly. Ally giggled, then rested her chin on Raevin's shoulder. "Don't be so grumpy."

"You aren't the one that was attacked by a piece of glass." Raevin pointed out.

"True." Ally said, nuzzling Raevin again.

Raevin shook her head slowly, then closed the front of her jacket. _Wet, white shirts and girls do not mix well._ Raevin thought. She stood still, letting Ally hold her as the water swirled around them.

The two girls spend the rest of the afternoon and early evening swimming and enjoying the temporary peace. Ectoplasm stood nearby, watching Raevin protectively and tensing up whenever she shrieked when Ally managed to sneak up on her. Vogel chattered constantly, but only Ectoplasm noticed. In fact, he seemed to be getting on the horse's nerves, because the white ghost stallion would bare his teeth at the bird, who would in turn caw back and click his beak.

When the sky had begun to adopt a rosy color, Raevin and Ally got out of the pool and traveled deep into the cave behind the waterfall. There, they stored their weapons. Ally helped Raevin weave a vine net to catch fish in, and Raevin helped Ally to repair her sword. Together, they strung the net out and were able to catch several large fish. Raevin managed to gut them with her sword, slipping on one and cutting the fish in half. Vogel appeared to laugh at Raevin when this happened, and she just threw the remains at him. "Eat that, bird, if you think it's so funny." Raevin had told Vogel, who cawed back with what sounded like a very rude comment. Ally cooked the fish, scales and all, over a fire and wrapped in clay. When the clay cracked open from the heat, the scales came with it, and they were able to eat the fish without having to skin them.

"Needs some spice." Ally said, snickering. Raevin just shook her head and continued eating.

***

"I'll take first watch." Raevin offered after they had eaten.

Ally shook her head. "No, I am. I can tell you're exhausted. You sleep. Besides, I'm part vampire, remember? I can stay awake much longer than you can."

"I can stay awake for three days straight."

"I'm willing to bet I can stay awake for three times that." Ally retorted. Raevin grumbled, seeing that there was no way to persuade the girl otherwise.

"Alright, you win. Wake me up in a few hours." Raevin said. She laid down, using her jacket as a blanket, and was soon fast asleep.

Ally smiled at the sleeping Raevin, brushing a lock of blonde hair behind an ear. "Sleep well." She whispered. She stood up, checking the area to make sure all was well, and made her way to the front of the cave to Ectoplasm and Vogel.

***

It was around 2 a.m., and Ally was still standing watch with Ectoplasm and Vogel. She had gone back to wake Raevin up, but seeing that her friend had been sleeping soundly, she decided against it and returned to keeping watch. She was wide awake, not even the slightest bit tired. 

Ally was leaning against the rock wall of the cave when she smelled it; the unmistakable scent of a vampire. It was very faint, but she could still smell it. Vogel and Ectoplasm apparently knew it was out there as well. Vogel was puffing out his feathers in every which way, and Ectoplasm was fidgeting, baring his teeth, and laying his ears flat.

"Stay here, don't let anything past you." Ally whispered to Vogel and Ectoplasm. She retreated back into the cave to Raevin, who was still sound asleep. Ally knelt next to Raevin's sleeping form and gently shook her. "Raevin… Raevin, wake up. There's a vampire out there." Ally whispered.

Raevin stirred slightly. "What? What time is it?"

Ally squinted. "Can't tell time without the sun, dear. It's dark."

Raevin mumbled. She quickly got up, pulled her jacket on, then gathered up her things. She strapped her sword to her belt and held her lance tightly. "Let's see what's out there." Raevin said quietly.

The girls went back to the cave entrance, where Ectoplasm was baring his teeth at something out in the darkness. Raevin placed a hand on the horse's shoulder, letting his mind into hers. She was able to look through Ectoplasm's eyes, and she saw outlines of creatures in the darkness of the surrounding forests. They looked human enough, if you ignored the fact that they had claws on their hands. It was too dark for even Ectoplasm to make out what they wore.

"Yes, they're out there…" Raevin murmured to Ally. "I can't tell which clan they're from, but they're pretty close to human… except for the claws on their hands."

"Most of the vampires, no matter which clan they belong to, look fairly close to human." Ally whispered. "Sometimes, though, you can notice slight changes, like scale impressions or inhuman build or the like."

Raevin nodded. "What do you think we should do?"

"We can get into the water and hope they don't have boats." Ally offered. "Or we can wait here and hope they don't try to get behind the falls."

"Lord Raziel!" They heard a voice call from their right. "There is a cave behind this waterfall. Day will be upon us shortly."

"Alright." A deep voice replied. "Everyone! Into the cave! Do not fall into the water, because no one is going to risk fishing your corpse out!"

Raevin's breath caught in her throat. "Now what?" She asked, the hairs on the back of her neck rising and the fear in her gut causing the bile to rise.

"I don't know…" Ally replied. She touched Raevin's shoulder in an attempt to give comfort, and was probably looking for comfort for herself as well.


	17. Raevin vs the Razielim

Where have all my reviews gone? Just kidding, you guys. And Vogel is a bird, ever heard a bird talk? It's really funny, actually. But, I've only heard a bird talk, I don't know how good their grammar is, so like I said, I did my best. And this is a bit of a slash, but nothing graphic, I swear. Ally and Raevin won't even do anything, I promise.

Look, Ally and Raevin are neck deep in trouble… with Razielim. Guess I could have used Rahabim, but they haven't been water-proofed yet. So we're taking the Razielim, because somebody was wondering if Raziel was going to be in this.

Disclaimer: I do not own Eidos, or Soul Reaver, or anything LoK. Ally, Raevin, Vogel, and Ectoplasm are mine.

~Raevin~

******

Raevin pulled Ally and Ectoplasm deeper into the cave. _If we're going to fight, I'd like to have the rock wall at my back._ Raevin thought.

The four made their way back into the cave. When they reached the solid rock wall, they turned around to face any who were coming into the cave. "Do you think we have a chance?" Ally asked.

"I don't know. I just want the rock at my back so I don't have to look behind myself." Raevin said. 

"You know… that makes perfect sense." Ally said, watching ahead of them. "What if we want to run?"

"Run? What's that?"

"Raevin, I'm serious."

"So am I." Raevin replied. "If we need to run, I'll make a path through vampires."

"And how are you going to do that?" Ally asked, glancing at her friend.

Raevin thought about that for a minute. "Let's cross that bridge when we come to it."

"Say what?"

"Never mind."

The two listened to the sound of footsteps coming closer. Raevin saw the shadows long before she saw the vampires. The vampires looked relatively human. They all had jet-black hair, but their eyes had gold irises. They had pale skin, almost as if they had been carved out of alabaster instead of created from raised corpses. Raevin ran through her mental list of all the things she was certain a vampire could do or had: heal slight wounds almost instantly, had super strength, amazing reflexes… and claws from the looks of it. Not to mention fangs and a thirst for blood.

The lead vampire saw the two girls as he rounded the corner. Stopping, he noticed their slight build, their health, and the fact that they were unarmed… for the moment. He noted that their weapons were within easy reach, and the lance leaning against the wall behind the younger girl. The fledgling closest to him leaned closer to his leader. "What should we do with them?" The fledgling asked in a whisper.

Raziel noted the hungry look in the eyes of his fledglings. He turned to the two girls and said "Well, might I as what you two are doing in my territory?"

Raevin leaned closer to Ally. "You didn't tell me this was Razielim territory."

"I didn't know." Came the answer.

"You do know I can hear you." Raziel said.

"Yes, we're aware of that." Raevin shot back.

"You've got a sharp tongue… for a girl." Raziel said calmly. The temper of the younger girl amused him.

Raevin glared. She clenched her jaw, then her fists. "I hope you didn't just try to insult me." She started.

Raziel laughed, and the rest of his team bust into either chuckles or howls of laughter. "Oh, not at all!" He said sarcastically. "Just trying to see if you'll be a challenge for us. I doubt, seeing as how young you two are."

Ally raised an eyebrow. "I'm already part vampire, no need to complete the change." She said, grasping the hilt of her newly sharpened sword but not drawing it.

One of the fledglings snickered. "Who bit you?"

"Dumahim."

It was Raziel's turn to raise an eyebrow. "So, you two are the two humans who caused my brother Dumah so much trouble… I didn't believe Dumah when he told me two human girls had managed to get the best of him, though." He said. "I have an idea. If the two of you can defeat four of my fledglings, killing them or not, then we will let you go."

Raevin growled. She didn't realize it until it had happened, and by then all the Razielim, Ally, Vogel, and Ectoplasm were looking at her strangely. She couldn't figure out why until she realized what she had sounded like. _What the… that didn't even sound human. More like a very big animal or a demon… What's happening to me?_ Raevin thought. _Well, whatever…_ "I'll fight. Leave Ally out of this." Raevin said suddenly. _I have seriously got to think about what I say or do before it happens…_

Ally blinked, giving Raevin a different look. "My, feeling pretty confident after that growl of yours." Raziel smirked. "I doubt even you could handle four of my fledglings."

"Care to test that theory?" Raevin hissed.

"What the hell are you doing?" Ally hissed in a whisper, trying to let only Raevin hear.

"I'm not exactly sure… fulfilling destiny?"

"This is no time to smart off!" Ally whispered harshly, sending shivers up Raevin's spine.

Raevin ignored Ally's remark, even if she mentally kicked herself. "Any takers?" Raevin asked, raising an eyebrow.

Ectoplasm reared, screaming, and pawed the air. He landed with a thud, then charged past Raevin and at the vampire hoard. Raevin stared after Ectoplasm, mentally pushing her mind into his. _STOP!_ She commanded.

The ghost horse came to a sliding halt just inches in front of Raziel, who hadn't even flinched. The two stared at each other coldly. "So, this is the ghost stallion… I've seen it before." Raziel murmured softly.

Ectoplasm snorted and took a few steps back. He turned his head and gave Raevin a hard glare, as if saying "Why the heck did you stop me?" Raevin just stared at him, and Ectoplasm turned, snorting, and walked over to stand beside Raevin.

"Fine. I'll fight four of your fledglings." Raevin said, taking a step forward. A few of the fledglings whistled, giving both Raevin and Ally the once over. _Note to self: kill any vamp that looks me over._ Raevin thought to herself. She loathed catcalls, especially if they came from animated corpses.

Raziel nodded thoughtfully. He motioned to the four vampires closest to him. "Have fun, don't get killed." Was all he said. The four chosen fledglings nodded, then rushed forward.

Raevin watched the four vampires advance on her, and made note of the two with swords. She sidestepped as one swung his sword, then she shoved past them, spinning around and delivering an impressive spin kick to the head of one of the vampires. "You know, the funny thing is that I was never good at that." She said to herself.

The three remaining vampires spun around, hissing and glaring. One swung his sword at her, the blade connecting to her shoulder. She cursed loudly, yanking herself free. She brought the ridge of her hand down on the attacking vampire's neck, stunning him. A clenched, taloned fist to the side of her head sent her sprawling. She sat there, stunned, watching a foot flying to her face. She ducked, jumped up, and sent the third vampire flying. _Unarmed, and I'm doing pretty good. My head hurts, though…_

She rubbed her head, retreating as the last vampire advanced on her. She felt groggy, and she couldn't focus her eyes anywhere. _Why do I feel drugged?_ She heard the vampire take a step, heard a hiss as the sword swung through the air, then felt a sharp pain in her gut. She grabbed the vampire by the wrist as she fell backwards, and pulled him past her and into the wall. She didn't feel anything as she collapsed to the floor. Raevin was just glad she could feel something solid against her back.

Raevin felt someone grab her by the shoulders, and heard her name being called. She quickly closed her eyes tightly to keep from getting sick.

"Fledge, what did I say about using that plant?"

"Sorry, Lord Raziel…"

"You poisoned her?!"

"He wasn't supposed to. I've told my fledglings not to use any part of that plant. What surprises me, though, is that she didn't try to kill them when she had the chance…"

"She does a lot of strange things, even I have problems understanding her."

Raevin slowly opened her eyes to see Ally kneeling in front of her and Raziel standing over them. Vogel had, of course, not moved from his perch, but Ectoplasm had taken to pawing the ground and giving the vampires evil looks. "What was that plant?" She asked weakly, fighting to keep whatever was left of her dinner in her stomach.

"It's a weed of sorts…" Raziel said. "It grows all around my Keep. It drugs humans and gives vampires a headache."

"Then why do I have a headache and feel sick and drugged?" Raevin asked as her stomach lurched. She reached a hand up to lay it on her gut, and found she had a gaping hole where her gut was supposed to be. "Ooooh, not good…" She moaned. Due to her adrenalin, she hadn't felt how painful the wound was until she realized how bad it was.

Ally stared at Raevin's stomach, unable to think. She touched the edge of the wound with a shaking hand, and quickly drew it back when Raevin winced. "Please… is there any way you can save her? I don't want…. I don't want to lose her…" She begged Raziel.

Raziel looked at Ally thoughtfully, then looked at the four fledges Raevin had dispatched so easily without killing them. "We'll try. Follow us, I'll carry her. No one harm the girls or their animals!" he said, issuing an order to his fledglings. He gathered the quickly-fading Raevin and started to head out of the cave as the sky was beginning to take on the dawn's pink color….


	18. Changing

I've finally gotten past that horrible writer's block I've had, now I'm starting this chapter. Still have to get Raevin out of her… predicament.

So, hmm…. Yeah, working on it. And I meant what I promised; Ally and Raevin won't do anything, I swear. This is PG-13, not R/Borderline N-17. But hey, I'm open for discussion.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything in LoK or Eidos, Ally, Raevin, Ectoplasm, and Vogel are mine.

~Raevin~

**********

Raziel quickly led his group into the dark forest, just as the sun began to peak above the treetops. Ally, Ectoplasm, and Vogel followed closely, but ghost horse still regarded the vampires with noticeable anger. The Razielim stayed to the shadows as they made their way through the forest. Vogel rode on Ectoplasm's saddle, and every now and then he flew up above the trees to take a look around.

Finally, they came to a large keep that cast a very large shadow across the ground. The vampires carefully edged around stray beams of sunlight and made it to the safety of their territory keep. They led Ally and the two animals to a large courtyard, protected from the sun by a large tower whose metal overhang blocked out the sunlight. 

Other members of the Razielim had come to see the returning group. When a few saw Ally, they bared their fangs in a hungry grin and then sulked away when Raziel ordered them back. Raziel called forth a few of his Elite and they led Ally and Ectoplasm down a hall to a large circular room that had a large stone table in the middle. Vogel had, yet again, disappeared.

Raziel placed the unconscious Raevin on the table, using his claws to keep the girl's gaping gut closed. His Elite rushed around, gathering blades and needles and other doctoring equipment.

When all the supplies needed had been gathered, Raziel and his Elite stood in a circle around the table, ready to stitch Raevin up. Ally stood by, peeking over the vampires shoulders and chewing on her lip nervously. Ectoplasm stood behind her, staring at Raevin and glancing around at the vampires occasionally.

The vampires worked quickly, trying to keep the blood flow to a minimum. The needles flew swiftly and the vampires used all of their will power to resist tasting Raevin's blood. "I… I can use healing spells… but her wounds are too deep… I can't heal cuts like that." Ally said.

Raziel nodded. "We'll stitch her up, then you can heal any small wounds. Like the one on her shoulder." He said, gesturing to the cut on Raevin's shoulder. Ally nodded.

*********

Raevin was floating…. Again. Her dream was starting to remind her of the dream she had when her shard attacked her. Only, her shard had been left at one of the caves…. "Good for nothing shard…" She muttered, and listened to her voice echo through the empty blackness around her.

She did her best to turn around, and wasn't sure if she was turning or not. She would see herself, but nothing around her. Raevin could hear voices speaking, but she couldn't tell who or what the voices belonged to or what they were saying. She could make out several male voices, and at least one female voice. 

Her back began to burn the moment she noticed movement in the darkness. The clearer the movement became to her, the more her back began to burn. She closed her eyes as tightly as she could, but her back continued to burn painfully.

It was the sudden tearing sound that scared her.

*********

Raziel and his Elite were almost done with Raevin. Raziel was busy tying the knots in the cord used to stitch Raevin's stomach while the others had begun to clean up the mess. Ally stood next to Raziel and was her right hand hovering over Raevin's stomach. A soft white glow was coming from her hand, and the wound was slowly closing around the areas where Raziel and his brethren had not been able to sew shut.

Raziel was just starting to pick Raevin up to take her to a room inside his keep when he heard a tearing sound. It was a very familiar tearing sound; the tearing sound made when flesh is ripped away from flesh and bone. He quickly let go of the girl. Raevin's eyes quickly opened as she sat up, then slumped forward to hug her knees.

Ally rushed forward and was about to place a comforting hand on Raevin's back when she noticed something sticking out through the leather jacket. When Ally looked closer, she realized it looked like a spike or spine of sorts. Another had soon pushed through the leather, and another and another. Soon, the spikes had pushed through the leather that was over her spine and shoulder blades.

Raevin ground her teeth and clenched her eyes shut as another wave of pain washed over her. Her hands and arms began to burn as her back had. Two claws shot out of the back of each of Raevin's hands, and grew to the first knuckle going down on her middle finger. They were sharp and pointed, and slightly curved. Raevin groaned in pain as the flesh on her arms began to strain. Three blades grew out of each arm, between the wrist and elbow and on the outer edge. They curved back to the elbow, and were sharp on both edges.

The Razielim Elite bared their fangs, hissing and snarling. Ally stared at Raevin, wide-eyed, and took a small step back. Raziel examined Raevin's new look from a safe distance of six feet.

Ectoplasm screamed and bared his teeth at the vampires, stepping between them and Raevin. He turned his head and nuzzled Raevin's cheek with his nose. The girl raised a shaking hand and placed it on Ectoplasm's neck. "It's not over yet… I can still feel it…" she said in a hoarse whisper before another wave of burning pain came over her.

Raevin screamed, leaning forward and clutching her sides. She managed to crawl to her hands and knees before the pain reached a whole new level. She stayed on all fours while her jacket and shirt stretched against her as something on her back pushed against them.

The upper back of her shirt and jacket were shredded as a pair of long, jointed, bony appendages emerged from her back. When they were done growing, they resembled a pair of wings of sorts… without the skin or flesh or membrane that enabled it to fly.

There were three joints on each growth; the first joint was at the back where the appendage stared. Then the limb went down to the second joint, traveled up to the third joint, then went down and ended. The wings resembled bat or "Dragon" wings, or the bones of them. The first joint had a long bony "finger" extending from it, where the membrane would connect to the back. The second joint had three long extra "fingers" extending from it, not including the original end limb. If there were a membrane, it would have stretched between the all the fingers to her back and wing arms. The end of each "finger" was sharp and pointed, perfect for impaling something. Three claws grew out of the second joint to each wing, and could be moved and used as hands. The limbs themselves were covered by a thick, leathery, white skin.

Ectoplasm screamed again, then reared and pawed the air. Raevin moved slightly, feeling awkward because of the newly grown body parts. "What am I?" She asked hoarsely. "What happened to me?"

**************

Another Author's Note: Okay, anyone seen either of the Dragon Heart movies? Yeah, her wingish appendages look like that, sort of, only vertical, not horizontal. And yes, strange, fast, but something had to happen and explain the shard/marking/dream thing. It's coming, I swear!


	19. Finding the Survivor

19th Chapter! Is here!

Okay, yes, something happened to Raevin, has to do with the shard and everything. Whole story's probably confusing, and I won't be surprised if someone criticizes me, but you know… nyah. That's all I have to say.

Disclaimer: I do not own Eidos or Soul Reaver or anything LoK. Ally, Raevin, the new Raevin (you know I had to say that), Vogel/Kirstunoh, Ectoplasm, and the Aiermunarck-Uyilnarkiah forest tribe are mine. Sareptiah and Wraith (the wolf) belongs to HealerAriel (Erin). 

~Raevin~

**********

It had been a few weeks since Raevin had undergone the Change that she had. She had begun to learn how to use her appendages. She learned how to make the claws on her wings move, and she could use them as a second pair of hands. Not only that, but they were actually stronger than her original arms. She could use them to help climb, fight, hold things, anything normal hands could.

Raziel and his clan allowed Raevin and Ally to live with them. The majority of the clan treated them kindly, and gave them new clothes. Ectoplasm was allowed to go where he wanted, and he often followed Raevin around the Keep.

Vogel still had not come back. He had flown away the day Raevin and Ally had been taken into the Keep. Raevin and Ally did of course worry, and Ectoplasm didn't seem to care. Even so, every now and then all three of them would look up at the sky, night or day, and hope to see a sign of their annoying, talking bird.

Raziel, Raevin, and Ally had searched the Razielim Library in hopes of finding out what had happened to Raevin and how. They looked through history and lore books alike, but they couldn't find any information on it.

And so, the story continues…

****************

Vogel had been flying for days. He was looking for someone, but he wasn't sure who it was. All he knew is that he had to find this person, and he would know them when he saw them.

The raven flew through the trees, diving and rising to avoid branches and any animals that would get in his way. Since he wasn't technically alive anyway, it wouldn't have hurt if he had collided with something. Even so, he didn't have time to stop and argue with something, whether it be animal or tree, and he would have stopped to argue with something anytime, even if it didn't argue back. But what he had to do was important. The only problem was that he didn't know exactly what he was doing.

As he flew, he passed over the site where the forest tribe had once lived. Vogel was now in Dumahim territory, and he could see the remains of Durikyn in the distance. The are of the destroyed tribe was now a few months old, since it had been destroyed several weeks before Raevin's arrival in Nosgoth. The ruins of Durikyn were now only around a month old, and the stench of death still held strong. Vogel had a clear view of the forest floor through the branches for a second or two, and sudden movement caused him to falter in his flight.

He noticed movement in the clearing through the branches of the ancient giant tree. It was a flash of white, followed by someone… or something… that was covered in black. Vogel glided silently through the branches of the giant tree and landed quietly on a branch. He looked down at the figures, cocking his head to the side to get a better view.

It was a girl and a wolf. The wolf was completely white, with black paws, tail tip, ear tips, and a black stripe down its back. It had solid black eyes that glinted slightly if any light reached it. When Vogel looked closer, he realized the wolf was a female. A very big female. The mane of the wolf had feathers tied into it, and a beaded leather collar was tied around her neck. The wolf walked close to the girl, who was human in every way. 

The girl wore all black: black cotton tunic, black pants, black leather boots, black leather belt, and the belt pouches attached to her waist were black as well. The sword on her back was jagged, but straight none the less. The sheath and its strap was made of black leather, and the sheath itself was trimmed with silver. The hilt of the girl's jagged sword was made of polished wood, and was decorated with small, smooth gems. A necklace made of many vampire fangs hung around her neck, a bracelet of vampire fangs was on each wrist, and there were possibly a good few hundred vampire fangs attached to her belt. One eye was dark brown, while the other eye was ice blue. The pupil in the ice blue eye was completely white, and the eye itself had an odd shine to it. When Vogel looked closer, he realized it was a glass eye, and he could sense small ripples of magical energy coming from it.

The girl and her wolf walked to the center of the clearing to the trunk of the ancient tree. Kneeling down, the girl took a small silver and jade necklace from one of her belt pouches. She tied the necklace to one of the stakes holding what was left of one of the heads of the tribe leaders. She murmured a few words in an unknown language, then she got up and turned to leave.

Vogel cawed and jumped from his perch, then flew down and landed in front of the girl and her wolf. The two stopped at the same time, and the wolf perked its ears forward as if to listen. At the same time, though, the she-wolf bared her teeth and growled softly. The girl, on the other hand, stared at the bird intently, and her glass eye glowed softly. "You are… a strange bird." The girl said quietly.

"I am not a bird, I am not a raven." Vogel said, in a surprisingly clear voice from the one he normally used before. "I am Kirstunoh Neljaek Aiermunarck, and you, Sareptiah Keljaek Aiermunarck, are my descendant and the sole survivor of our Aiermunarck-Uyilnarkiah forest tribe."


	20. Sareptiah's Past and the Journy to Razie...

Well, I must thank Erin for letting me use her newly created characters in this fan fiction. And yes, I made up Vogel's other name (all of it!) and the middle and last name of Sareptiah, and the forest tribe's name. Took me a while, but I did do it BY MYSELF.

Yeah, I guess Raevin is a demon now… She's going to be going through a state of denial about it, but she'll get through it. 

Vogel? Well, yes, he really isn't a bird… but that's going to be explained later. I promise. I have more Thought Chapters coming up, so some things will HOPEFULLY be made clear. Maybe.

I have another camp coming, so this will be the last chapter up until I come back, which will be in about three days. Maybe four, if I have to rest and recuperate after being counselor to these evil little campers… But yeah, moving on.

Disclaimer: I do not own Eidos or Soul Reaver or anything LoK. Ally, Raevin, Vogel/Kirstunoh, Ectoplasm, and the Aiermunarck-Uyilnarkiah forest tribe are mine. Sareptiah and Wraith (the wolf) belongs to HealerAriel (Erin). 

**********

Sareptiah traveled swiftly through the forest, her white wolf always by her side. Vogel flew above them, above the trees, keeping watch and flying down to the two to give them new directions. Vogel was taking them to Raziel's Keep, much to Sareptiah's displeasure. She was a vampire hunter, and a very good one at that, judging by the number of vampire fangs she wore, and she was the sole survivor of the forest tribe that had been destroyed before Raevin had appeared in Nosgoth.

Late in the evening, the group stopped for the night. Sareptiah found a cave guarded by a high, steep cliff, and made her camp there. She glanced at her wolf, who then turned quickly and bounded down the slope and disappeared into the forest. Vogel flew in and landed on a large, jagged rock. He tried speaking with Sareptiah, but she paid no attention at all. Instead, she sat with her back against the wall and her sword drawn, her gaze piercing the darkening scene outside the cave.

When the wolf returned, she dragging a freshly killed wild pig behind her. Sareptiah cut parts for herself to cook slightly over a fire, and left the rest for Vogel and her wolf. After the wolf had returned, Sareptiah listened to and talked with Vogel, and told him her life story.

"I was, as you know, born into the Aiermunarck-Uyilnarkiah forest tribe. My mother was a respected woman, and my father an honorable warrior. My brother was an experienced hunter, and my grandfather was the tribe shaman." Sareptiah began. "My mother taught me of the different plants growing in our forest, and what they could be used for. My father taught me how to use a sword, and he gave me this sword as a coming-of-age gift when I passed the age of 16 summers. My brother… oh, how I wanted to be like him, and my father too. Most of the women in the tribe were healers and such, and normally only the men hunted and fought. A few women though, who were extremely gifted with weapons or very strong, were very decent warriors. I wanted to be one of them.

"But when the vampires of the area found us, there was no safety. My brother was killed by Rahabim, impaled with a lance and pulled from his canoe while fishing. They left his body on the shore, and stayed away from the water themselves. My mother… raped and murdered by Zephonim. The Dumahim, of course, destroyed my entire village, and sold the surviving women to the Razielim, who I hate just as much. After my village was destroyed, I learned to live on my own. My eye… yes, it is stone, but it is enchanted. I can see into the souls of other things, living or dead or inanimate. My real eye was taken by the Turelim, and the Malchiahim caused my deafness. After I had escaped from Malchiah and his brood, Wraith came to me. She is… a Spirit Wolf. She bound herself to me, and became a mother or sister of sorts. She cared for me, protected me, helped me hunt, and when she bound us together, she became my ears. I can hear through her and her alone."

The three spent the rest of the evening in silence. After Sareptiah finished eating, she leaned back and laid against a rock and stared up at the rock surrounding them, lost in her own thoughts. Wraith and Vogel finished off what was left of the pig, and Wraith drug the remains out of the cave and let them tumble down the cliff.

********

The next morning, Sareptiah, Wraith, and Vogel set out again. Vogel had told them that he would be taking them into Razielim Territory and into their Keep. At first Sareptiah flatly refused to, saying she would rather fight a hundred Zephonim than go into the Razielim Keep on peaceful terms. But then Vogel spoke of Raevin, the one from the Prophecy, and this perked Sareptiah's interest.

"Who is this… Raven?" Sareptiah asked as the three traveled slowly through marshland.

"It's Raevin. It's spelled differently; R-A-E-V-I-N. She's part of the Prophecy." Vogel explained from his perch on Sareptiah's shoulder. "She came from another world, I saw watched her when she arrived. She is the reason the Dumahim destroyed Durikyn. They were looking for the two human girls who had managed to escape from them."

"I heard… or perhaps Wraith heard… some men in a tavern talking about that. How two girls had escaped from the Dumahim. I thought maybe it was a trick, or a joke, but I suppose if what you say is true, then that is true also." Sareptiah said. Wraith padded along beside her, listening to everything around her.

"Yes, it is true. I was with them. Raevin fights with a sword who's handle is in the general shape of a human. Head, arms, torso, and legs. Her lance is plain in design, but her skill with it is impressive. She fought four Razielim, and defeated them without killing them."

"Someone who fights vampires and doesn't kill them? This Raevin must not have any courage." Sareptiah scoffed.

"Quite the opposite, actually. Before the Razielim, she fought the Dumahim twice. But when she went against the Razielim, she was injured. Injured severely, I should say. Her gut was cut open to reveal her insides, and I think she was poisoned with one of the blades the vampires used." Vogel said, flapping his wings to stay balanced when Sareptiah jumped over a stream.

"The vampires have no honor or pride, that is all I can say." Came the reply, and was accompanied by a low growl from Wraith.

"Well, yes, that is what can be expected. I was surprised when the vampire lord Raziel scolded the fledge that used the poison. He and his band took Raevin and her--I'm not sure 'friend' is the right word to use, but I will use it-- friend Ally and her ghost horse Ectoplasm to their territory Keep. That is where we must go. We need to alter the Prophecy."

"I will agree with you on that." Sareptiah said as they came to the waterfall Raevin and Ally had taken shelter in. "Now which way?"

"That way." Vogel said, pointing eastward with a wing. "Raziel's Keep lies in that direction.


	21. An Offer to Sareptiah

Alrighty!

Okay, first off, I don't even know what a hork-bajir looks like. I've only read a few of the Animorphs books, all I know is that they are big, lizardish, and Yerk slaves. That's it. Wolverine… yes, I can see where you got that. Raevin's claws can, by the way, retract, but not all the way. They'll still be sticking out a good inch or two when they've gone in as far as they can. So Raevin doesn't have the privilege of retracting her claws all the way. The whole think basically works like the claws of a cat, so we'll leave it at that, m'kay?

Next off… I have slaved over this chapter, and during my only breaks during my camp, so appreciate it! I'm kidding, you guys, about the demanding appreciation part. But I did work on this during camp, and a little after I got back. I hope you guys like it.

Disclaimer: I do not own Eidos or Soul Reaver or anything LoK. Ally, Raevin, Vogel/Kirstunoh, Ectoplasm, and the Aiermunarck-Uyilnarkiah forest tribe are mine. Sareptiah and Wraith (the wolf) belongs to HealerAriel (Erin). 

************

Raevin sat at the highest point of the Razielim Keep, watching the land around her with a keen eye. The sun was high over her head, marking the noontime hours, and it was her turn to keep watch for the day. Even through the sky's overcast, smoggy condition, Raevin could still feel the heat of the sun's rays on her exposed back.

Unknown to Raevin, Ally watched her from a distance. She admired her friend, everything from her courage and personality to her body. When they had first met, Raevin wasn't very muscular or toned, and she also wore a bit more then than she did now. Now, when Ally looked at her, she could see the muscular arms and shoulders and well toned stomach of the body covered only by the white leather boots and pants from Charles and Anne, and a newly fashioned white leather tank top that had nothing on the back save a single white leather strap that kept it on, allowing her new 'wings' to move without getting caught in something. Even after Raevin's transformation, Ally hadn't lost her respect or want for the girl.

Smiling, Ally carefully climbed up to where Raevin was sitting. She snuck up behind her, then quickly covered the other girl's eyes with her hands in a "Guess Who" gesture. Raevin's first response would have been to put up her spikes and flare her wings. Instead, when she recognized the feel of Ally's hands, she smiled and relaxed.

"Take a guess." Came Ally's voice.

Raevin grinned at their game. "Is is Anne?"

"No." Came the reply. Raevin grinned again as the claws on her hands retracted as far as they could.

"Is it… Ally!" Raevin twisted, turned, and tackled Ally, forcing her to the ground. She tickled the older girl mercilessly, and Ally shrieked with laughter and struggled to escape while Raevin took care not to hurt her with her blades or spikes.

"Ok! Ok! You win! I surrender!" Ally panted. "Raevin, you're cruel."

"Am not." Raevin said, hugging Ally and nuzzling the girl's cheek with hers.

"I suppose you're right." Ally said, hugging Raevin back while avoiding sticking herself with the laid-back spikes.

"You guess?"

"Okay, you're right." Ally said, grinning slightly.

That's when the two realized how… close… they were. "Ally…" Raevin started, but was silenced with a finder to the lips.

"Shh." Ally whispered as their faces started to close the gap between them.

A sudden, ear-splitting "Ca-CAW!" caused the two to jump apart and sit up. Avoiding the other's gaze, they both looked up to see a large, black bird flying down towards them.

"Vogel!" Raevin exclaimed, as she and Ally jumped up to greet their much missed bird.

"Where have you been?" Ally demanded, hugging Vogel while trying not to choke him. He seemed a bit startled at Raevin's new look, but quickly regained his composure.

"Finding help!" He said in his crow voice. He cawed and flapped his wings, climbing into the air. "Come see!" He cawed, then flew down the keep walls to the forest outside. 

Raevin and Ally raced after him, keeping pace best as they could. Ally reached the edge where the wall dropped off, and came to a screeching halt to avoid falling. Raevin, on the other hand, just grabbed Ally with one arm and used her other arm and wings to swing down the wall, grasping the stones easily with her claws. By the time they reached the bottom, Ally was a good deal paler than she normally was.

"I can't believe you just did that." Ally said, trying to calm down.

"Well, I did." Raevin replied, snickering and stomping on the ground to prove her point.

"Come! Look! Meet!" Vogel demanded, standing o the ground and pointing with a wing at a girl who stood a head taller than Ally. "Sareptiah, vampire hunter!"

Sareptiah looked at Ally, then looked at Raevin. When she noticed the spikes and claws and blades, she whipped out her sword and hissed "Demon!" The wolf at her side bared her teeth and snarled.

Raevin was halfway up the Keep wall by the time Sareptiah had spoken. "No thanks, I prefer myself in one piece." She said, digging her wing claws into the stone and hanging there.

"No! Don't!" Ally yelled. "Don't hurt her!" Sareptiah saw her fangs.

"Vampire!" Sareptiah spat, and her wolf growled, taking a step forward. Sareptiah glared at Vogel before turning to swing at Ally.

Raevin snarled and jumped from her perch, landing between Ally and Sareptiah. She turned her back to Sareptiah and flared her wings, pointing with her spikes and trying to strike Sareptiah. The girl ducked, swung her jagged sword at a flaring wing bone, and cursed as the blade bounced off. "Wraith! Attack! Kill!" Sareptiah ordered to her wolf.

Just as Wraith started to attack, a horrible scream could be heard. In a flash of white, Ectoplasm leaped from the wall behind them and charged at Wraith. He struck out with his hooves, missing but causing Wraith to step back. Sareptiah stared at Ectoplasm, wide eyed. "Came through the wall…" She said, stepping back.

"Don't attack me." Raevin growled. "Don't attack Ally. She isn't a vampire." Raevin gave Sareptiah a cold stare.

"You brought me to Demons." Sareptiah glared at Vogel.

"They help! Ssssslayers!" Vogel retorted. "Fight Dumahim! Fight Razielim! Fight vampires! Prophecy!"

"I don't care for the company of two Demons." Sareptiah growled, then turned to walk away.

"Then perhaps a bit of persuasion is in order?" Came a calm voice.

Everyone turned around to see Raziel step from the shadows. The sunlight did nothing to him as he walked towards them. "If you agree to help these two fulfill this… Prophecy," Raziel began. "Then I will restore what should be rightfully yours. Raevin spared my fledglings, and she is a very formidable opponent. Ally is one of the best healers in Nosgoth, with the power of vampires at her disposal. I believe it is the least I can do to help them. Even if only a little."

Sareptiah raised an eyebrow questioningly while Wraith's mane bristled as a growl came from her throat. "How will you do that, and what is it that you believe is rightfully mine?"

"Your hearing."


	22. In Search of Answers

Ack! I know, I've neglected my fanfic. ::hangs head in shame:: But I'm going to make up for it! Longer, better chapter! (I hope…)

But yeah. I've had to get rabies shots, been at camp, but I have been working on this fic with what little free time I manage to find. I might change the rating to R for violence and a -little- bit of sexuality. Nothing graphic, I swear. (On the sexuality part.) Of course, this might just border-line R… dunno. Tell me what you guys think.

Disclaimer: I do not own Eidos or Soul Reaver or anything LoK. Ally, Raevin, Vogel/Kirstunoh, Ectoplasm, and the Aiermunarck-Uyilnarkiah forest tribe are mine. Sareptiah and Wraith (the wolf) belongs to HealerAriel (Erin). 

******

Raziel led Raevin, Ally, Sareptiah, and all three spirit animals down a long, dark corridor. All three young women could smell water and must and occasionally dried blood, Raevin and Ally more so than Sareptiah. Wraith walked close to the vampire hunter, nose twitching and ears listening to every sound. Ectoplasm and Vogel brought up the rear, with the raven chattering constantly.

The group came to a large metal door that had strange symbols carved onto it. Raevin helped the vampire lord push the door open, and they were all nearly knocked back by the rush of aged, sour air. Even Raziel wrinkled his nose. Ally leaned against the wall and wretched, then felt Raevin place a hand on her shoulder to steady her. She smiled her thanks weakly, then stood up on her own on shaky legs.

They entered the stifling room, wrinkling their noses and trying their hardest to ignore the stench of waste, rot, mold, and wet scrolls and books. Raziel lit two torches, handed one to Raevin, and led everyone through the isles of the ancient, neglected library.

"What are we looking for?" Raevin asked, unsure of the answer she would get.

"For a demon, you aren't very bright." Sareptiah muttered. Vogel snickered at the comment.

"I'm sorry to disappoint you." Raevin snapped.

"We're doing two things." Raziel began. "We're still looking for a cure for you, Raevin, or at the very least what happened to you. And I plan to prove to this Hunter…"

"Sareptiah." Sareptiah said.

"Ah, yes. Sareptiah. I plan to prove to her that I can give her back her hearing."

"But if you have her back her hearing before she did whatever you wanted her to…" Raevin started, enjoying the glare she got from Sareptiah's eye.

"That is why I will only give her -partial- hearing." Raziel replied, catching the initial question.

"Clever."

"Indeed."

Ally spoke up. "Let's split into two groups. Raevin and I can look through some books and scrolls while you give Sareptiah some hearing." Another glare from the female Hunter.

"Excellent idea." Raziel beamed at Ally.

"Don't kill each other." Raevin called over her shoulder as Ally pulled her to the nearest isle, trying to keep her from harassing Sareptiah farther.

***

Ally and Raevin walked slowly down the book isles, followed closely by Ectoplasm and Vogel. They handled each book, scroll, and parchment carefully, in case the water damage was too great, looking for the reason Raevin had changed, and if there was a cure.

Raevin was looking through an old, dusty book when a sudden, loud sound from behind startled her. She spun around, claws extended, to see Ectoplasm. He had sneezed loudly after sticking his snout into a pile of scrolls and parchments that were surprisingly dry, just very dusty. Ally glanced up from a scroll to see what the noise was coming from, and she saw the dry scroll pile. "Raevin, where did you find these?" She asked as she made her way to the table, brushing a hand against Raevin's hip as she passed.

Raevin just stood there, a little stunned. "I didn't find them." Was all she managed to say.

***

"Alright vampire, what do you have in mind?" Sareptiah asked coldly, staring at Raziel with her good eye.

"To give you back your hearing, of course." Raziel said with a somewhat odd smirk.

Wraith growled quietly. "And how, vampire, are you going to do that?" The Hunter's questions were relentless.

Raziel stepped closer. "If you will stand still and cooperate, you'll find out." He said, studying Sareptiah's face.

***

Raevin slid an empty chair next to Ally's, and sat down. She took a scroll from the pile while Ally studied another. The demon girl's eyes scanned over the words, unable to read the symbols that were written there.

"Ally… I can't read this." Raevin said.

"Neither can I." Ally replied, placing a comforting hand on Raevin's leg. "I can only recognize a few symbols, like human, demon, horse, vampire, and change. See if you can find and pictures or something."

Raevin nodded, then started looking through the pile for scrolls that had images on them. At the very bottom of the pile, she found a large, leather bound book with a very familiar symbol engraved on the front. She gasped, then turned to look at her shoulder. There it was, the very same symbol. The yin-yang and feather symbol that was on her shoulder was also engraved on the book. She turned the book over to look at the back. Sure enough, there was the other symbol. The Celtic knot that was on the back of her shoulder was engraved on the back of the book. Raevin looked at Ally, why was busy examining another scroll. She casually got up, taking the book with her, and walked over to Ectoplasm. The horse gave her a questioning look as she slid the book into a saddle bag. Raevin just smiled and gave Ectoplasm a scratch behind the ears, then went back to join Ally.

***

"What are you doing?" Sareptiah asked, tensing, while Raziel placed his clawed hands on her shoulders.

Raziel drew her close. "I'm helping you." He said. Wraith growled menacingly, giving Raziel a cold, hard stare while she listened to every word he said. Sareptiah motioned for Wraith to stand still, and the wolf did so, but not willingly.

"How are you going to give me hearing?" She asked, her firm voice wrung with curiosity and a little fear.

"Like this." He said, then leaned in to kiss Sareptiah on the ear.

Sareptiah jumped back and glared at the vampire before gripping her head in her hands. A searing pain shot through her head and into her brain. She tried to yell for help, but know sound escaped her lips. Wraith snarled and leapt into the air, slashing her claws across the vampires exposed back.. Raziel stumbled back, but never lost the smirk on his face. The spirit wolf bared her teeth at Raziel before turning to tend to her pained master.

The Hunter fell to her knees, grasping her head in her hands. But as fast as the pain had come, it left. Sareptiah sat there, panting. She had lost her hearing connection with Wraith, but she had gained something so much better.

Her own hearing.

She had complete hearing in both her ears. At first, she was overjoyed. If it weren't for the fact that Raziel was a vampire and she was a vampire hunter, she would have hugged him. But then another thought hit her; Why did she have complete hearing?

"What's the catch?" She asked coldly, realizing something wasn't right.

"Nothing, really. That's only temporary hearing, it's not permanent. In a minute or two, you will lose it again. You'll be reconnected to your wolf, of course." Raziel replied. The gash on his chest was slowly but surely healing.

"This isn't permanent…" Sareptiah murmured. Her shoulders slumped. She had been tricked again. _At least it wasn't by a bird, this time…_

"No. But if you join Raevin and Ally in their quest for the Prophecy, I will return your hearing to you. Permanently."

Sareptiah glanced up at Raziel and looked into his eyes. "You have no soul… not a real one…" She whispered. "But I can tell you're telling the truth."

Raziel nodded, then offered his hand to her. "Let's find the others. Maybe they've found something." He said. Sareptiah accepted his hand, rose to her feet, then followed Raziel in search of Ally and Raevin.

***

"Maybe we should just take the whole stack…" Raevin suggested. "We can look through it all in our room."

"Are you sure that's not the only reason you want to take me to our room?" Ally asked, a smirk on her face and a gleam in her eye.

"Erm, well I… uh…" Raevin was very shocked at this statement. It was totally unexpected, and for the first time, she was at a loss for words. She could feel her face growing hot at the thought of it.

Ally laughed. "I was kidding, Raevin. No need to get worked up." She said as she started to gather the scrolls and parchments.

Raevin sighed. She could feel the blush on her face leaving, which was a good sign.

"What, are you that scared of me?" Ally asked innocently. 

Again, Raevin was at a loss for words. _This just isn't my day, is it…_

Ally chuckled and shook her head.

They were just turning down an isle when Ally nearly ran into Raziel. She jumped back into Raevin, almost dropping the scrolls she was carrying. "You startled me!"

"My apologies." Raziel said. "Did you two find something?"

"We think we did." Raevin said. "But we can't read it very well. I don't recognize the symbols used to write it."

"That's fine. I'll find someone who can read it. If I can't find one from my territory, I'll borrow one from one of my Brothers." Raziel said. "Let's return to the Keep."

***

Raevin and Ally sat in their room, accompanied by Sareptiah. The animals stood around or paced, or in Vogel's case, chattered. The girls were having a difficult time reading the scrolls they had found, and even Sareptiah couldn't read it.

"Ugh, I'm tired…" Raevin muttered, leaning back against her wing bones.

Ally glanced up at Raevin from a scroll. "Already? It's not even evening and you're tired."

Raevin shrugged. "What, am I not entitled to be tired?"

Sareptiah just shook her head, then kept trying to read. In her opinion, Ally and Raevin were a couple of odd birds. It was just best to leave them alone and make no sudden movements.

"No."

"Excuse me?"

A knock on their door interrupted their friendly banter. Everyone in the room turned to the door and saw one of the Razielim Elite standing there. "Lord Raziel has found someone who could possibly translate the scrolls for you." He said.

Ally nodded. "Where is he? We'll bring him the scrolls."

"He is in the Library, in the main tower."

"Thank you."

The vampire nodded, then left. "Well, let's go." Ally said. She and Raevin gathered the scrolls while Sareptiah got up and motioned to Wraith.

The girls, with animals in tow, made their way from the bedroom to the main tower. They climbed the stairs, with Raevin climbing along the walls using the claws on her wings. When the reached the Library door, Raevin jumped down and pushed the door open. Inside, they saw that a large table had been placed in the middle of the floor, and a young man sat in one of the chairs.

"Uh, we're looking for the man who's supposed to translate these scrolls for us." Raevin called, getting the man's attention.

"That would be me." Came the reply.

"Oh…"

Ally jabbed Raevin in the ribs with a finger, then led them over to the table. "We found these scrolls in a Library, but we can't read all the symbols. Perhaps you could?"

"Of course I can." The man smiled at Ally. "These are fairly easy symbols to read. I'll translate them for you."

Raevin scowled silently to herself. She didn't like the way the man was looking, smiling, or speaking to Ally. But there wasn't anything she could do about it, except fume. She felt a hand on her shoulder and turned around to see Sareptiah. The Hunter shook her head, and mouthed the words "Let it go." Raevin just glared at her, then turned away.

"My name is Damon, by the way." The man said, smiling again.

"I'm Ally." Ally replied. "And this is Raevin and Sareptiah." She said, motioning to the girls behind her.

"Pleased to meet you." Damon said, nodding to Sareptiah. He gave Raevin a dark look, hardly acknowledging her. Raevin just bared her fangs in a silent growl. "Interesting… friend… you have over there."

Ally frowned. "She's just like the rest of us."

"She looks like a demon."

Raevin's wings flared, and her claws extended a bit. She growled, this time loudly, and turned and walked toward the nearest window. She scrambled up the rock wall to the window, planning on leaving and letting someone with more patience handle the translator.

"Oh dear…" Ally murmured. She turned and walked quickly to Raevin, who was just making her way onto the window. "Where are you going?"

"Out."

"Why?"

Raevin looked down at Ally, then cast a dark glance at Damon. "I… I just need to. I need to think, be alone. Something like that." She said.

"You're not telling me the whole truth."

The half-demon stopped short. She hated it when Ally figured her out. And she seemed to be doing that more and more every day. "I…" Raevin started, but then just shut her mouth. It was no use denying it, she wasn't telling Ally the whole truth. But she didn't want to tell her she was mad because someone smiled at someone else the wrong way. "I just need to be alone for a bit." Raevin finally said. She turned and jumped out the window, grabbing at the rock wall with her wings and climbing up to the very top.

Ally frowned. She didn't know what was going on with her friend. It pained her to see Raevin in a mood like that, and it also hurt that Raevin wouldn't tell her the whole truth. "Sorry, Damon." She said when she got back to the table. "She… she's in a bad mood."

"That's understandable for something that isn't human."

It was Ally's turn to glare. She wasn't liking the way this man was talking. She took a deep breath, counted to ten in her head, and waited for her temper to simmer down. "We'll leave you to your work, Mr. Damon." She finally said. "We don't want to disturb you."

"You aren't disturbing me." Damon said, smiling again. Sareptiah was beginning to get annoyed. She knew that someone like Damon only smiled like that when they wanted something. She had peeked into his soul, and didn't like what she saw. "Can I see you again?" She heard him ask.

Ally glanced at Sareptiah, who shrugged in response. "I… need to go. Good luck with translating those scrolls." Ally said quickly. She turned and left, followed closely by the spirit animals. Sareptiah looked at Damon coldly with her good eye, then turned and followed the girl out.

Damon just smirked, then sat down to get to work. He would get what he wanted, he was sure of it.

***

Raevin sat at the very top of the tower, staring down at the book in her lap. She had managed to sneak it out of Ectoplasm's saddle bag, and she took it with her so she could look at it herself. She was a bit unsure about it, and didn't know if she should open it or not.

"What the heck. Why am I scared of a book?" She asked herself. She glanced down at the stark white glass shard hanging from her neck. Vogel had retrieved it on his outing, and had returned it to Raevin. She was reluctant to wear it at first, but for some odd reason she did. "Never thought I'd be scared of inanimate objects…" She muttered.

Placing a hand on the cover, Raevin slowly and carefully opened the book. She stared at the first page, the same symbols written on it that were on the scrolls they had given to Damon. She muttered and turned the page. She passed a few blank pages before she finally came to one that had something written on it. Or drawn, in this case.

The girl stared down at the image on the page, scared and curious about what she saw. In the image, she saw a girl sleeping in a bed. In the room there was a dresser, a closet door, and various things handing from the walls: pictures, posters, and weapons. Raevin's heart pounded in her chest. That room looked so familiar… she couldn't figure out why. But it scared her, and she reluctantly turned the page to look at the next picture.

On this page, it showed a different room. There were two couches facing a box like thing that had a window of sorts on the face. Stairs in the background led up, and there was a strange device sitting before the box. _Oh my god… that's my television set…_ Raevin thought. Why were there images of her and her house in this book? The next page showed the device in front of the box (the Playstation) glowing and the TV exploding.

"This book shows what happened when I was asleep…" Raevin started, then turned the page again to see herself fighting the vampire that had come through. "And what happened afterwards…"

She looked through the entire book, from when before she woke up to where she was now. Then, when she wasn't even halfway through the book, the images stopped. The rest of the book was blank.

"What the…" She stared at the book. It hadn't exactly told her what had happened to her, but she had a slightly better understanding of everything now. Like how Vogel had found Sareptiah. (She still didn't know who Vogel really was.) 

"What's going on?"


	23. Confessions

Look! A new chapter! I've edited some of the past chapters, like fixing spelling and grammar and such. Make it look better and everything. And I am really sorry that this chapter took so long. My sister's horse died (cut her leg and died of blood loss) and my dog is really sick. So it's been pretty hectic. I have been working on it, though.

Damon will be a weaselish sort of person (Thanks Erin for the idea!) No Damon in this chapter, though.

Raevin and Sareptiah will still annoy the crap out of each other and have fun doing it. And I have some surprises coming up for Raevin. She will change yet again. Evolution, Raevin style, yes?

Ally will still… just be there, I guess… Keep Raevin and Sare from killing each other… keep Vogel in line… things like that.

Disclaimer: I do not own Eidos or Soul Reaver or anything LoK. Damon, Ally, Raevin, Vogel/Kirstunoh, Ectoplasm, and the Aiermunarck-Uyilnarkiah forest tribe are mine. Sareptiah and Wraith (the wolf) belongs to HealerAriel (Erin). 

****

Raevin sighed, staring down at the book. She knew she had to tell Ally; she couldn't keep something like this from her. "Then why am I scared to tell her?" Raevin asked herself. "I shouldn't be…"

She sighed again, then looked down from the tower. Vampires were leaving the keep at random intervals, disappearing into the dark forest. The only light came from two torches at the Keep entrance, and torches placed evenly throughout the main halls for the human servants. Raevin placed the book on the roof, then stood and stretched. She looked down at the book, then over the edge to the ground below her. "What the heck. This'll make it or break it for me." She said, grabbing the book and leaping off the tower roof.

Falling through the air, Raevin waited till she was halfway down before grabbing the rock walls with her wings and claws and climbing the rest of the way. When she reached the bottom, she found Ectoplasm standing there, waiting for her. "Hey, buddy. Were you waiting for me here?" Ectoplasm bobbed his head in a horsy nod, then nickered.

"I know I've been a brat lately… I'm really sorry. Forgive me?" Ectoplasm nickered again, then nuzzled Raevin with his nose. She smiled and patted him on the nose. "Do you know where Ally is?" Ectoplasm whinnied and pointed with his nose at the nearby staircase. "Room then?" Another nod. "Alright, thank you. I'll see you tomorrow." She hugged the stallion around the neck, then took off for the stairs.

Raevin hit the stairs at a full run, and raced up the stone steps, taking them three or four at a time with the help of her wings. She quickly reached the top of the tower, where the bedroom she and Ally shared was. Coming to a stop at the large wooden door, Raevin paused to catch her breath, then tucked the book under her arm and pushed the door open slightly. She knew she would have to apologize for running off like she had, but she didn't care. She had to tell Ally about the book.

"Hello? Ally, are you here?" Raevin called, slipping through the door and closing it behind her.

"Out here, on the balcony." Ally's voice replied. Raevin made her way across the floor, dropping the book on the table as she passed. She came to the door that lead out onto the balcony, 

"Yes?" Raevin asked as she stepped through the door.

"Come here." Ally said, holding her hand out to the half-demon. "Stand with me."

***

Sareptiah sat quietly on the roof of the tower room Ally and Raevin shared. She and Wraith had followed Ally up to the room, deciding to watch over her until Raevin returned. Sareptiah didn't trust that Damon man, not even a little bit. When she had looked into his soul, she had felt the unbearable urge to shiver with fear. Which was very unlike her. 

When she saw Raevin join Ally out on the balcony, she knew she didn't need to worry. Until tomorrow, anyway, when Ally was sure to run into Damon. Sareptiah leaned against Wraith and watched the two girls below her.

***

"What is it?" Raevin asked as she stepped up next to Ally.

"I want you to look up at the sky for me." Ally replied. "Tell me what you see."

Raevin turned her gaze to the clear night sky. There wasn't a cloud up there that could block her view of the stars. She couldn't find any of the constellations from her home world, but she knew she wouldn't find them up there. She could, however, see a few that Ally had taught her. _Technically, _Raevin thought to herself. _I don't -have- a home world anymore. I came from one world and am part of a prophecy of another._

"What do you see?" Ally asked, placing her hand over Raevin's.

***

Sareptiah raised an eyebrow, interested at how this event was turning out. "I knew they were a strange pair, Wraith." She said to the wolf next to her. "Whatever comes next shouldn't be much of a surprise."

***

Raevin stared down at Ally's hand holding hers. "What do you see?" Ally asked again. Raevin blinked a few times, then looked up at the sky.

"I see…" Raevin began, then realized she had suddenly forgotten the names of the constellations she had been taught. "… a lot of stars." No one could say she was wrong. There were indeed a lot of stars in the sky, much more than Raevin was used to.

Ally laughed. "You're right, there are a lot of stars." She let go of Raevin's hand, then pointed up at the stars. "Imagine that every single one of those stars is a person, either a human or a vampire."

Raevin gazed up at the star-crowded sky. "That's a lot of people."

Giggling, Ally decided silently that Raevin was still a little stunned from when she had touched her. "Very true. Now, point out the brightest star you see."

As tempting as it was, Raevin did not point at the moon. She studied the sky for a moment before she pointed at an extremely bright star that the humans called Certu. (Raevin had been lectured by several people that it was pronounced with a 's' sound and not a 'k' sound.)

Ally smiled. "Certu is Nosgoth's brightest star. That represents you." She said. Raevin was watching her intently as she spoke. "The rest of the stars represent everyone else in Nosgoth."

Raevin was, at this point, a little confused. Due to her demonic side, thinking about what Ally was trying to get at was a tad bit difficult. The fighting and killing concept was easier for her to understand, even though her human and demon self's clashed with each other on the killing part.

Ally saw the slightly confused look on Raevin's face, and decided to try and explain better. "Certu stands out from all the other stars, right?" Raevin nodded. "To me, you are Certu. You stand out from everyone else, and I noticed you the moment we first met."

Raevin gazed at Ally as a thought suddenly popped into her mind. _Is she…? No, she can't. It's not possible. Don't get your hopes up._

"Raevin, I love you. I did from the start." Ally said, fighting her shyness to look Raevin in the eye, who stared right back.

"How? Why?" Raevin asked, shocked. "I'm…" She tried to say the word 'hideous', but her mouth refused to cooperate with her brain.

Ally placed her hands over Raevin's, hiding the claws. "It doesn't matter what you look like on the outside." She said, looking at Raevin with more confidence. "I think you're beautiful with or without the claws and spikes and blades. I know who you are inside, and that's what counts." With that, Ally placed a hand on the back of Raevin's head and pulled her closer to press their lips together.

For a moment, Raevin had no idea what was going on. All she knew was that Ally was kissing her and she was kissing back. It wasn't fierce or heated… just strong. And emotional. When they finally pulled apart, both were a little dazed. Ally was the first to recover. She grinned mischievously, then turned and walked towards the door leading into their room. She paused at the door, then looked over her shoulder at Raevin. "Coming?" She asked.

Raevin blinked, even more stunned now than she was before. "Yeah… in a minute." She said. Ally smiled, then left through the door.

Sighing, Raevin leaned back against the balcony railing. She couldn't say she wasn't pleased with this sudden turn of events, because she was very pleased. She was just… shocked. She was just looking up at the sky when she noticed Sareptiah and Wraith sitting there above the door.

Growling, she stood upright and glared at Sareptiah. "What did you see?" She demanded.

"Everything." Came the answer. Sareptiah looked at Raevin for a moment, then smiled (which caught Raevin off-guard) and stood up. She nodded to Wraith, who turned and walked through the wall behind her. Sareptiah looked at Raevin again. "Keep an eye on that Damon person, and guard Ally with your life." Was all she said before she turned and climbed easily up the rock wall.

"I will." Raevin said, then left the balcony through the bedroom door, following Ally.


	24. Morning After and Damon's plans

Sheesh, last chapter must have sucked. I got no reviews… I've changed my pen name, and I'm really really sorry I didn't get a chapter up earlier. Horse died, got bit by a really big dog (took a nice chunk out of my leg…) and school will be starting very shortly. So, here's a chapter until I can get another one down.

But yeah… last chapter must have bombed big time. First time I've gotten no reviews… ::whines::

Damon will be in this chapter, and naturally, so will Raevin and Ally. Raevin and Ally have had enough bonding time for a while; it's time for this story to pick up its pace.

Disclaimer: I do not own Eidos or Soul Reaver or anything LoK. Damon, Ally, Raevin, Vogel/Kirstunoh, Ectoplasm, and the Aiermunarck-Uyilnarkiah forest tribe are mine. Sareptiah and Wraith (the wolf) belongs to HealerAriel (Erin).

********

Raevin stirred slightly as she woke up. She slowly opened her eyes, and found herself looking at the sleeping form next to her. Smiling, Raevin studied Ally's peaceful face. After a moment, she closed her eyes, planning on going back to sleep.

She was almost asleep when she felt Ally moving. Raevin opened her eyes and saw Ally had moved closer to her and had nestled her head in the crook of Raevin's neck. Her breathing was still slow, and her face was still peaceful. Raevin carefully put an arm around Ally's shoulder, and was soon fast asleep.

***

Damon sat in the library, working on translating the scrolls he had been given. He could read it easily, and was transferring the content of the ancient scrolls to fresh parchment, using a language that could easily be read. "People don't know how to read anymore…" he muttered, transferring some more text as his mind began to wander.

_I wonder how I can get Ally…_ he thought. _Such a fair girl… very easy on the eyes. Her voice is nice, too._ He continued to transfer and think, pondering ways to get Ally for himself.

***

Raevin was the first to wake up again. There was a breeze coming through an open window that made the curtains move slightly. She carefully stretched her winds and spines, making sure they weren't stiff. "Sleep well?" A voice asked.

Raevin blinked then looked to find Ally had woken up. "Actually, I did." Raevin said, grinning. "Did you?"

Ally smiled, then pressed her forehead against Raevin's. "Better than I have in a long, long time." She said, wrapping her arms around Raevin's waist and snuggling close. 

"Ally we can't." Raevin said, getting a whine for a response. "We need to get up." 

Ally groaned, then sat up and stretched. "You're right, we can't. We need to check on Damon's progress." Raevin growled at this. "Raevin, don't let him get to you. Just stay with me this time." 

"Alright." Raevin said, sitting up and giving Ally a kiss on the head. "But only because you asked." 

* * *

Damon was busy reading the scrolls when the library doors suddenly opened. He looked up to see Ally walking into the room. "Hello, Ally!" He said quickly putting the scroll down. "It's you!....and your, eh, 'friend'." He said darkly, noticing Raevin.

"Yes, Raevin and I have come to see how your translating is coming." Ally said. Raevin stood close to her, but a step behind.

"It's coming along very nicely." Damon replied, completely ignoring Raevin. 

Ally nodded. "How far have you gotten?" 

"I've translated three of the scrolls so far. I've still got a ways to go though." 

"Thank you." Ally said. "We'll let you continue with your work."

Damon looked disappointed, then suddenly perked up. "Wait. Before you go, I have a favor to ask of your... friend." He said. "There's a book at the very top of the shelves. I need it, but I can't reach it. Even with a table." 

_Why don't I believe him? _Raevin thought. _Oh yeah.. he's a weasel. Snake seems more appropriate._

"I was wondering if… your friend… would be willing to get the book for me. It's in the very back far corner, at the very top of the shelf." Damon truly looked like he was telling the truth.

"Why don't you ask her?" Ally asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, doesn't she speak some ancient, unknown, demon tongue?" Damon asked.

"No, but if I did, I would have said every curse in that language." Raevin said through gritted teeth, getting a jab in the ribs from Ally.

Damon blinked in surprise, actually shocked. "You… you can speak."

"And you thought otherwise?" The demon raised an eyebrow.

"I.."

Raevin just grunted, then glanced at Ally, who shook her head and frowned. "Will you see if you can find the book?" Ally asked. Raevin frowned, nodded slowly, gave Damon a cold glare, then went into the very back of the library to find whatever book the man wanted.

"It's really big and thick, with a leather binding and silver lettering on the cover." Damon called. _Stupid half-human, there is no book like that back there…_ He thought, turning back to Ally.

"Care to sit while it looks for the book?" Damon asked, offering Ally a seat in a chair. She accepted, watching Damon closely out of the corner of her eye.

***

Muttering to herself, Raevin made her way to the back wall and to the corner Damon had pointed out. "Don't know why he didn't get it himself. It's not too high up there." She grumbled. She glanced up at the top of the bookcase. "Maybe I'm just saying that because I can reach it easily." Using her wings, she reached up and grabbed the top of the case and pulled herself up, and began looking along the rows of books.

***

"How did one such as yourself come to be friends with that… friend… of yours?" Damon asked, studying Ally carefully.

"It's hard not to fall for her charm…" Ally muttered under her breath. When Damon raised an eyebrow, not catching what she had said, she coughed. "She was human when I met her. We were close friends when she was changed."

"How do you know 'she' wasn't a demon to begin with?"

"I trust her." Ally said simply. "She is the closest thing to a family that I have. She's been there for me since we started traveling together."

"Why not trust someone who's human?" Damon asked, taking Ally's hand in his.

***

_I'm beginning to think that snake wasn't telling the truth…_ Raevin thought. She still hadn't found a book that matched Damon's description, and it was getting on her nerves. "How hard is it to find a thick, leather bound book with silver lettering? These vampires should have all sorts of books…" She asked herself.

Then a thought hit her.

_Vampires can't touch silver…*_

***

Ally jerked her hand away from Damon, staring at him in shock as he stood. "What are you doing?" She asked, getting ready to yell for Raevin, or run, or both.

"I want to take you away from here." Damon said, not taking his eyes of the girl in front of him. "I want to bring you back with me, to take you away from these vampires and that… thing!"

"That 'thing' is the only family I have now!" Ally shot, then jumped up from her chair to try to dart around Damon and deeper into the library to find Raevin, only to be stopped by Damon. He grabbed her neck tightly with one hand and covered her mouth with the other.

"You will come with me, and I will make you mine. You will live a proper life, away from these monsters. You will live as my wife, and bear my children!"

***

Raevin's spines stood up slightly as a growl escaped her. She tensed her wings muscles, getting ready to lower herself and return to vent on Damon, when she heard a sudden commotion at the other end of the library. Turning in mid-air, still clinging to the wall and bookshelf, Raevin saw what was happening.

Snarling, she stopped from lowering herself and instead launched herself through the air, over the bookshelves, and at Damon. Raevin did all this with an inhuman grace, never once touching the ceiling or the shelves.

***

Damon had opened his mouth to torment Ally more when something extremely hard and heavy plowed into him from above, from his left. He fell to the side, and would have taken Ally with him had strong claws not latched themselves onto his wrists, freeing her. In one motion, Raevin hefted the man off the ground, then threw him forcefully into the nearby wood-covered stone wall. The wood buckled and splintered under the impact from the shocked Damon, and the stunned man slid to the floor. He regained his senses in time to see Raevin's wing claws closing around his face to crush him.

"Raevin, stop!" The claws stopped trying to crush Damon's head as the half-demon turned and looked at Ally. Raevin dropped him unceremoniously on the ground, then turned herself completely to face her companion. "Please, don't." Ally pleaded. Raevin's eyes went from a red rage color to their normal blue-green color, and this time looked concerned. She stepped up to Ally and pulled her into a protective hug, wrapping her wings around her as best as she could.

"What did he do to you?" Raevin whispered her question into Ally's ear.

"Nothing." Ally whispered back, lifting her head to look her friend in the eyes. "He just… said some things. About you… then me." Raevin's human pupils turned to slits at that. "No, not that. About you not being human at all and about me…" She faultered.

"You what?" Raevin asked, worried.

"He said he would take me away from here… from you. And make me…" Ally's eyes seemed to cloud over as she stopped speaking. It didn't take long for Raevin to figure it out, because her hold on her partner tightened as she held her close.

"I won't let him." Raevin hissed into Ally's ear. "I'll kill him if I have to."

"No." Ally said sternly. "You can't to that."

"What do you do to a wounded or sick animal that cannot be cured?" Raevin pressed. "You kill them. If he does not leave you alone, that's what I'll do." Ally gazed at her, fully understanding but reluctant to believe that she would let Raevin do that.

Raevin turned, wings still around Ally, and glared at Damon, who was now staring at them. "If you ever, EVER lay a hand on Ally again, I'll rip it off and shove it down your throat." She threatened. Ally frowned and dug her fingernails into Raevin's shoulder as a warning. Raevin just grunted, then led Ally out of the library, slamming the door behind her.

"I will make her mine, demon." Damon growled. "And there is nothing you can do to stop me."

___________________________________

Footnotes

*In this, vampires cannot come into contact with any silver substance at all. It will burn them and make them extremely uncomfortable and irritable. Nobody wants an irritable vampire….


	25. That Evil Damon

God, it's been forever since I've worked on this. Been trying to figure out where I want this story to go…

School has been doing well, and semester tests are finally over, and my dog bite is getting better. Yes, I have been thinking on this fanfic, and I actually have a second one up and going. It's a Sailor Moon fanfic. All you moonies better check it out.

No, I have not written a lemon scene between Ally and Raevin, but I have thought about it. But due to FF.net's lemon deal, this fic might get pulled down if I do that. But I am really, really, REALLY sorry it took me so long to update. School got busier, and it was pushed to the back of my brain. But I did work on it whenever I had the free time.

Disclaimer: I do not own Eidos or Soul Reaver or anything LoK. Damon, Ally, Raevin, Vogel/Kirstunoh, Ectoplasm, and the Aiermunarck-Uyilnarkiah forest tribe are mine. Sareptiah and Wraith (the wolf) belongs to HealerAriel (Erin).

********

"So what now?" Raevin asked as she and Ally walked slowly across the Keep's courtyard. The area was bustling with fledgling using the tower to avoid the sunlight, and human servants who were doing whatever the vampires wanted them to. A few Elite passed the couple, and they nodded in greeting as they walked by.

"I don't know." Ally replied. "I think I'm just not going to go near Daman. Alone, anyway."

Raevin nodded. "Think we should tell Raziel? Sareptiah probably already knows."

"No." Ally said. She picked up a small ball and tossed it to a group of human children who were calling for it. Their caretakers, a mixed group of female humans and vampires, either nodded or waved to them before turning their attention back to the human youngsters. "He'll probably have him killed, and we need those scrolls translated."

"I don't mind living like this." Raevin protested. "I'm used to them; I almost feel like I've had them my entire life."

"I know. Same with me and my… changes." Ally sighed. "But don't you want to be normal again?"

"Normal is a relative term." Raevin said, flexing her spines. "Besides, I'm stronger now."

"But you feel the demon side, don't you."

There was silence for a moment. An uncomfortable silence. "Yeah… I guess I do."

"Well, what does it feel like? You can't enjoy it. I don't see how you would." Ally said, leaning against her friend in mid-walk.

"Well, actually…" Raevin started. "Most of the time I do enjoy it. It makes me feel powerful. I can see things and smell things and hear things I physically wouldn't be able to if I were human. I'm just as strong and fast as a vampire, and just as cunning. Sometimes though…" She looked uncomfortable and glanced down at her claws. "Sometimes the need to kill becomes too strong. You know all those times I would leave with the fledgling hunting groups?" Ally nodded. "Well… I'd help them hunt. I'd distract or full out kill their prey if they couldn't do it."

"You what?!" Ally glared at Raevin, disbelieving.

"What? Oh, no, I didn't kill any old people or children or women. The fledges only went after the men, and those were Hunters of one sort or another."

Ally sighed. "Sometimes, I'm not sure what I should do with you…"

Raevin smirked. "Lock yourself in a closet with me?"

"RAEVIN!"

"What? Just a suggestion…"

The two continued their walk in silence. When they came to the tower in the middle of the courtyard, they stopped to watch the Razielim and their human servants go about their normal routine.

"You do know… that we'll always be in the middle, right?" Ally asked, breaking the silence and noticing Raevin's questioning look. "We'll never be completely normal. We aren't human, but we aren't vampire or demon either."

"Then what are we?" Raevin asked.

"Different." A voice interrupted them. The two women looked up to see Raziel approaching them. "I apologize if I've… disturbed the two of you." He said, grinning a grin that revealed his fangs. "Daemon says he's done with the translation, and he requests that we accompany him to a clearing tonight."

"When did you become a messanger?" Raevin smirked, getting a growl from Raziel and a jab from Ally.

"Ignore that." Ally said quickly, trying to push the snickering Raevin away and failing miserably. "Does he want me, you, Raevin, and Sareptiah? Or just the three of us?"

"He did not specify." Raziel said as he finished glaring at Raevin.

A slight tingling sensation at the base of Raevin's skull caused the demon to become more alert. She glanced around quickly before talking. "I need to go. Ectoplasm's calling me. She said, standing straighter and raising her spines slightly.

"Wait, I'll go with you." Ally said, reaching out to catch Raevin's hand before the she-demon could climb up the wall.

Instead of climbing, however, Raevin pulled Ally into a hug. "Stay away from Daemon until I get back." She whispered into the girl's ear. She let go, then scrambled up the wall at a speed nothing in Nosgoth could match.

"Wait!" Ally yelled just as Raevin disappeared over the Keep wall. She cursed, more worried than angry.

Raziel cocked his head slightly, having heard what Raevin said. "Ally, might I speak with you?"

***

Raevin dropped down from the Keep wall, landing on the hard earth on all fours. The tingling at the base of her skull had gotten stronger, so she knew Ectoplasm had to be outside the Keep walls.

Closing her eyes, Raevin tried looking through the eyes of her ghostly companion. Their bond had strengthened over time, and they were able to call each other over great distances.

Looking through the other's eyes, however, was a totally different story.

The image Raevin was getting was extremely fuzzy and a bit dark, but she could make out trees and some armored men that Ectoplasm appeared to be… well, attacking wasn't exactly the right word. He was keeping them busy. The clearing they were in was familiar; Raevin realized that it was the clearing that she and Ally spent some of their free time together, when they wanted it to be just the two of them.

"Hold on, Ectoplasm," Raevin said as she ran into the forest and took to the trees. "I'm coming."

***

Raziel and Ally trekked up the stairs in a tower to the room the two girl's shared. "You say that Raevin is from a different world? And that Daemon is… not what he appears to be?"

Ally nodded. "A book that Raevin found in your library proves it. I'll show you." Her eyes darkened at the mention of Daemon. "And yes, Daemon isn't just a translator. But I'm not sure what he is. But I do know he's human."

The two came to the door leading into the girl's living quarters. Ally inserted the key into the lock and turned it. She pushed against the door, and it slowly opened to reveal the interior of the room.

"What in all…" Ally gasped, seeing the condition of the room.

"Do the two of you always keep your rooms like this?" Raziel inquired, raising an eyebrow. "You could have asked for a servant to come clean it up."

"No… it's not supposed to be like this…"

The room was a complete disaster area. The chairs were smashed, glass and mirrors were shattered, dirt and mud had been tracked all over the place, and the connected rooms were generally in total chaos. Anything that hadn't been broken or outright destroyed had been discarded onto the floor or bed.

Among the destroyed were Ally and Raevin's weapons. The two had stopped carrying them around when the Razielim had accepted them into their clan. Sareptiah carried hers around out of habit.

Ally wasn't worried about the weapons however. She had noticed a figure standing in the corner. Raziel noticed it, too, and bared his fangs in a feral hiss. The figure ignored the vampire lord as it stepped out of the shadows.

"Hello, Ally." The figure said, fully revealed.

"Daemon."

***

Raevin sped through the forest's trees. Soon enough, she reached the clearing she and Ally had spent so much time in. She paused in the branches to look at the scene. Raevin could see the shimmering in the air where Ectoplasm was appearing and disappearing and reappearing again. The ghost horse appeared to be circling the group of six men. The emblems on their armor proved them to be Sarafan.

"Might as well…" Raevin murmured. She jumped down from the tree, coming out of hiding as she did. As soon as she revealed herself, Ectoplasm stopped running to nicker at her. The Sarafan men took this chance to try and escape, but before they could move more than five feet, Ectoplasm had strafed through them to block their escape.

One of the Sarafan, apparently the leader, turned to face Raevin. He studdied her a moment, then motioned to one of his followers. The summoned Sarafan stepped forward, apparently very nervous.

"L-let us pass, demon. If you do not, w-we will kill you." The Sarafan said, the leader scowling behind him.

Raevin smirked. "What are you going to do, poke me?" She eyed their short spears, then stepped forward and snatched up the Sarafan with a wing. "What are you doing here?" She demanded, holding the struggling hunter in the air by the armor's collar.

The remaining Sarafan quickly drew their swords and started to advance on Raevin when she shook the captured, terrified hunter. "I know this one can't be more than sixteen or seventeen summers." Raevin said, managing to grin a grin only a psyco could. "He's scared, I can tell. I can see it… I can smell it." She smirked.

"Let the boy go, demon." The leader said. "We know you don't harm children."

"Oh, but this isn't a child!" Raevin crowed, acting very boisterous. "He is a Sarafan, and very much an adult!" _Wait… what's that smell?_ Several thoughts raced through Raevin's mind as the young Sarafan dangled from her wing claws, whimpering.

"Drop him!" A different hunter bellowed, leaping at Raevin and swinging his sword.

_I know what that smell is, now._ A very deep, low growl began in the half-demon's chest, traveling through her throat and coming out her mouth. The Sarafan advancing on her saw this, but didn't move fast enough. Raevin's other wing hit him hard, slamming him into the ground and pinning him there. "Where have you come from and where are you going!?" Raevin bellowed, pressing the grounded Sarafan harder into the dirt and wrapping her wing talons around the neck of the now sobbing Sarafan teen.

"Wait! Please!" The grounded man begged. "We were called here by a man named Daemon. He wanted us to steal some book for him, and kidnap a woman named Ally!"

"Really…" Raevin murmured. "I know you've managed to take the book, because Ally has been with me all day. Which of you has it?" Her questioned went unanswered. Raevin sighed, rubbing her temples with her fingertips. "Allow me to rephrase that; If somebody here doesn't give me the book, I'll kill you all. Starting with the boy." With that, she dropped the teen to the ground and held his head against the earth with her talons.

"No! I have it!" The boy screamed. He squirmed and struggled, managing to reveal the book. Raevin released him, and he jumped up and dropped the book at her feet.

That's better." Raevin said, realizing the other Sarafan and kneeling to pick up the book. "Come on, Ectoplasm. I know a certain snake we need to talk to." She said as she turned and started walking back to the Keep.

Ectoplasm nickered, moving to follow his master. As he passed the Sarafan, he stopped to look at them closely. He seemed to frown, then he just snorted and walked away.


	26. An End to a Beginning

Okay, I know that I made you guys wait. Lots of things have happened since I posted the last chapter, but now I think I can focus on it.

My girlfriend and I are currently 'taking a break'. But no matter how temporary that seems to be, it still hurts. Not as much as it did, but I still get depressed. I am, however, going to be making a few changes to this story. After this is the epilogue, and it won't be long now!

So, here's the 26th chapter!

Disclaimer: I do not own Eidos or Soul Reaver or anything LoK. Damon, Ally, Raevin, Vogel/Kirstunoh, Ectoplasm, and the Aiermunarck-Uyilnarkiah forest tribe are mine. Sareptiah and Wraith (the wolf) belongs to HealerAriel (Erin).

Raevin and Ectoplasm raced through the forest, the half-Demon riding on the back of the dead horse. The two came to the keep, expecting the guards to still be outside at the gate and the entranceway torches lit.

They were not.

"What the…" Raevin glanced around, trying to figure out if this was some type of joke. Her demon eyes pierced the darkness, but didn't see anything even remotely helpful. She listened to the sounds of the night, but failed to pick up anything. At all. The sounds of the forest were at a dead standstill.

She growled, then turned her head up to sniff the air. There, she did pick up something. Blood, lot's of it. "There was a fight here…" Raevin murmured. She slid off Ectoplasm's back and walked cautiously towards the entrance, eyeing every shadow like it had the ability to jump up and attack her.

Ectoplasm snorted and pawed at the ground, obviously very uneasy. Raevin made her way back to him and removed his saddle and bridle. "Don't let anyone catch you, buddy." Raevin whispered. The ghost horse bobbed his head up and down in response.

"Raevin?" The two heard a voice coming from some nearby trees. Sareptiah and Wraith came out of hiding; the wolf's mane was bristling and Sareptiah was cluthing her sword. "Where were you?"

"Chasing some Sarafan. Where is everyone? What happened here?"

"We were attacked by Sarafan. I stayed out here with the guards and tried to fend them off." Sareptiah replied. "They came in swarms… One of the guards shoved me into the bushes, then they were all slain…" Wraith had been growling when Sareptiah spoke, staring at the entrance as she did.

"Ally? Is she okay?" Raevin asked, fear dripping off her words. _If she's hurt, I'll kill every single one of those Sarafan!_ She thought.

"I don't know, I-"

"GET THEM!" A voice bellowed from the shadows of the entrance.

Ectoplasm reared up and scream as he and Wraith turned transparent. Raevin and Sareptiah spun around, ready to fend off the surprise attackers. A mob of what looked like two dozen Sarafan poured out of the Keep entrance. A quick head count by Sareptiah said it was around thirty.

"We can't fight them all, we have to run." Sareptiah yelled, grabbing Raevin by the wrist and attempting to drag the half-demon away.

"I have a better idea." Raevin jerked free and grabbed Sareptiah around the waist. While the Hunter was cursing and struggling against her iron grip, Raevin ran at the mob as if to barrel right through them. Instead, just as she reached the Sarafan, she smashed the heads of two if the Sarafan into the ground with her wing-bones, and used them to vault herself and Sareptiah over the men's heads and onto the wall above the Keep's entrance. "See? No problem."

"If you ever do that again, I swear on the sun and moon I'll kill you!"

Raevin continued to climb as she half-heartedly listened to Sareptiah's threats about hanging her from a tree, decorating the Hunter's sword sheath with the bone blades growing out of Raevin's arms, and using the spikes and wing-bones growing out of Raevin's back as stakes and spears.

"Well Ally, where is your precious demon now? Why isn't it here to save you?"

"I said I don't know!"

Ally was bound by thick ropes, her hands tied behind her and her feet tied together. Heavy chains secured her against the stone wall. Raziel was about ten or fifteen feet to her left, chained to the wall with silver chains. Damon was interrogating the two of them, and two Sarafan stood by with silver-tipped cat-o-nine-tails, one in each of their hands.

"I think you're lying, girl!" Damon lunged forward and grabbed Ally by her scalp, yanking her head up to look him in the face. "WHERE'S THE DEMON?!"

"You've been given your answer… Sarafan… neither of us know…" Raziel rasped. He had already been beaten a few times, and his silver induced wounds weren't healing fast enough. His shirt was completely shredded, and gashes covered his chest abd back. One eye had been swollen shut, but since it had been a simple punch it was healing much faster than the rest of his wounds.

Damon spat in Raziel's direction. "You two, beat the rest of the life out of that moving corpse. I have a way to make Ally tell me where the demon is…" He glanced at Ally and quickly began to remove his shirt.

When Ally realized what he had in mind, she panicked and struggled against her bonds. Despite the fact that she was part vampire, she could do no more than stretch the rope around her wrists.

By this time, the two Sarafan near Raziel had gotten in a few good kicks to Raziel's gut. They hadn't ended his life just yet; they wanted to pay him back for all the "damage" he caused. Raziel's clan could only watch, being kept back by the rest of the Sarafan.

Damon had his shirt off, and started to advance on the still-struggling Ally. He almost reached her when a blur from above nailed him squarely in the chest, knocking him on his back. He looked up to see what hit him and saw the blood-thirsty, glowing red eyes of a furious Raevin. "I knew we couldn't trust you." He heard her sneer.

"Raevin, look ou-ugh!" Raziel yelled, his warning cut short by a well-placed kick from one of the Sarafan. The other threw his spear at Raevin, hoping to kill her with the one shot.

The half-demon snarled and knocked the spear away with a bladed arm. She snatched up Damon before he could escape and threw him into the two Sarafan near Raziel. Another Sarafan had snuck up behind her and tried to impale her with a pike, but he stepped too close and was instead impaled by the flexing spiked on Raevin's back.

"Enough! All of you die NOW!" Damon yelled as he grabbed his sword and swung it at Raziel. Just before the silver blade sliced through the vampire lord's neck, it was blocked by a jagged blade…

Sareptiah, while clinging to the jutting stones in the wall, slammed her foot and it's iron-heeled and toed boot across Damon's jaw. While the man was trying to regain his senses (and feeling in his jaw), Sareptiah jumped down and removed Raziel's chains.

"Why did you save me?" Raziel asked. He got a shrug in return.

"I have to get my hearing back somehow, don't I?"

The Razielim saw that their leader was free, and they surged against the Sarafan all at once. It was a very rare scene; vampires and their human servants against vampire hunters. Even though outsiders thought the human servants of the vampires were tormented slaves, the servants themselves were actually better off. The Sarafan tended to be ruthless, but the servants had food, shelter, protection, and they were only killed if they had the nerve to disobey.

Raevin had lost sight of Damon in the fray, so she returned to Ally. After a few moments, Raevin shredded the ropes and chains that imprisoned her companion. "Are you alright?" Raevin asked, pausing only long enough to beat back a Sarafan. She noticed that Ectoplasm and Wraith had joined in on the fun, and Vogel was cheering them on with screeches and caws and the occasional "Behind yous backses!"

"Yes, I am now. Thank you." Ally said, hugging Raevin tightly and smiling when she felt her kiss her on the cheek.

"Good, let's get out of here." Raevin picked Ally up and was about to scramble up the wall when she was interrupted by a yell. She instinctively put Ally down and pushed her away, then turned around to face her challenger.

It proved to be a mistake. A pike impaled Raevin through her right shoulder, throwing her back and pinning her against the wall. She snarled and struggled against the weapon, but couldn't free herself.

"If I can't have you, no one can!" A crazed voice screamed. Raevin looked up in time to see Damon aiming at Ally with a crossbow that was loaded with a standard silver bolt.

"No!" Raevin tore herself free just as Damon fired the bolt. She could only watch as the bolt impaled Ally through the heart. Blood oozed out around the bolt. Ally was too stunned from the impact to feel the pain. "Ally!" Raevin screamed.

Raevin's muscles bulged as she tackled Damon. "If you have anything you pray to, I suggest you start praying. I should have killed you when I had the chance!" She drove her claws into his chest, twisting them as she went. Damon screamed as his chest seemed to explode, spraying blood everywhere. He didn't scream long before his head was crushed by the claws on Raevin's wings.

While Raevin was slaughtering Damon, Raziel and Sareptiah were trying their best to keep Ally alive. Raziel cut the wound open to remove the bolt, and Sareptiah used bone splinters to stitch the gash. "Ally, you must stay alive. Raevin needs you!"

"I… I can't… It's just.." Ally coughed and gurgled a bit, but managed to keep breathing. Her chest heaved up and down with the effort.

Raevin stumbled over to them, her energy spent. She collapsed on the ground, and was dragged the rest of the way to Ally by Raziel. "Ally.. You're going to be okay, right? You're going to be okay…" Raevin half begged, half commanded. She was terrified, more terrified then she had ever been. "Raziel, you gotta save her! Please…"

Raziel seemed to mull over this for a bit. He began to raise his wrist to his mouth when Ally grabbed him by the arm, stopping him. "No… don't. Please don't."

"Ally, no.." Tears had started to escape from Raevin's eyes. "Don't leave me. Please don't leave me…"

"Raevin.." Ally murmured soothingly, despite the fact that her life was slowly seeping away. "I don't want.. Don't want to live forever. I don't care that I'm dying, it's.. worth it." She reached out and placed one hand on the side of Raevin's face, and the other on one of Raevin's hands. "You made life worth living, and death worth dying." Her breath came out in rasps, and her once sparkling eyes had lost their luster; they were now clouded and unfocused.

"Ally.."

"Shhh." Ally whispered. "Be strong for me, Raevin… I will always be with you if.. You keep me close.. To your heart…" She managed to finish speaking before Death silenced and stilled her forever. As Death overcame her, a gurgling sound could be heard deep in her chest. Her eyes closed just after they clouded over completely.

"Ally…? Ally?" Raevin shook the lifeless body. "No.." She closed her eyes tightly and clenched her fists. "NO!" The half=demon bellowed out her rage and anguish to the sky. The heavy storm clouds that ad gathered above the surviving vampires and servants released their burden, and heavy sheets of rain started to pelt them from above. The vampires felt waves of intense discomfort instead of the usual itch, and they ran to find shelter. Raziel winced slightly, but didn't move.

As Raevin sobbed, a small glowing ball of light appeared over Ally's chest, where her heart used to beat. Raevin became silent as the ball reshaped itself. When the light faded, a crystal medallion on a chain could be seen on Ally's chest. Raevin reached for it cautiously, scared that it would disappear if she moved too fast. She picked it up and held it in her hands, as if it were a delicate crystal that could break at a moment's notice, and stared at it in an attempted to memorize the object.

The medallion was about half an inch thick, with a diameter of three or five inches. The surface was smooth and flawless, like a mirror. Raevin couldn't see anything in the cloudy gray surface, but she swore she saw movement in the medallion's stormy depths. The chain was most likely an alloy; it looked like silver, but was as strong as steel.

"Ally…" Raevin murmured to herself, fingering the chain.

Raziel placed a clawed hand on Raevin's shoulder. "I will have the servants give her a proper burial, and-"

"No."

Raziel was silent for a moment. "No?"

"No." Raevin repeated herself. "I will take care of her. Only I can. It's my fault she's dead."

"Raevin, it's not your fault." Sareptiah scolded. "Don't ever say that. Ally doesn't want you to carry that kind of burden."

"That's not the point! I was supposed to protect her!" Raevin snapped angrily, then realized all too late what she had done. "I…" She sighed, and felt a horse's nose rub against the back of her head. Raevin lifted a heavy hand and gave Ectoplasm a pat on the nose. "I'm sorry, I just… need to be alone right now." Raevin gathered Ally up in her arms and, clutching the medallion in her fist, scaled the wall to the outside. Ectoplasm wasted no time in phasing through the wall to follow her.

"Do you think she'll be alright? Will she come back?" Sareptiah had never felt so depressed in her entire life, not since the destruction of her tribe.

"We can only hope." Raziel replied. "Let's go inside."

A few days later, the storm had vanished and the bodies from the battle had been taken care of. Repairs to the keep had been made, and the scrolls (and their translations) had been locked securely in a stone chest and thrown into the Abyss. The only thing that hadn't been touched, repaired, or tampered with was the tower room that Raevin and Ally had spent nearly two years in.

Sareptiah climbed the stairs slowly, studying the stones that made up the tower. She could still see the gashes and pits left by Raevin whenever she raced up the tower stairs. The ex-Hunter reached the door to the living quarters, and hesitantly pushed them open.

The room still resembled the state that Ally and Raziel found it in before they were captured by the Sarafan; a complete disaster area. Mud and blood stains still marred the walls, floor, and ceiling, but she had no idea how the blood got there. Raziel told her than the Sarafan broke into the room to look for something, and apparently weren't too concerned with wiping their boots off, first. Sareptiah had guarded the tower and the room herself, with her newly regained hearing and Wraith. No one had been up there since Raevin left.

At least, that's what she thought. Sareptiah did recall an event that happened the night after Raevin left. She had been standing guard at the entrance to the tower when she heard some howls, screams, and violent curses coming from the room. Sareptiah raced up the stairs as fast as she could and nearly broke the door down in her attempt to catch the intruder, but only caught a glimpse of someone leaping out the window with a bundle in their arms. She had gone to the window to try to see who it was, but only saw a panicking Vogel. She called the raven to her, then left the room in a hurry.

Now she knew what was missing: a blanket, the broken weapons, and the Book that Raevin and Ally had found in the dungeon library. But on the table were two items that did not belong. One was a letter, and the other was a bone blade that looked like it was torn right out of Raevin's arm. The blade still had pieces of flesh clinging to it's base. Sareptiah picked up the letter, and opened it to read it:

Dear Raziel, Sareptiah, Vogel and Wraith, and the Razielim Clan,

I leave this place now, it's too painful to stay here. Ally had been buried in our clearing, and I've marked the grave with the wings, claws, blades, and spines, from my body. Ectoplasm is staying with the grave to guard it.

The old Raevin is dead… that is no longer my name. That part of me died with Ally. I'm a nameless wanderer, now, doomed to travel, live, and die alone.

I wish you all the best of luck and fortune. May you live long lives (or afterlives) and please remember Ally and I by the blade I leave.

-Nameless One AKA Raevin

Sareptiah stared at the letter, then at the blade. She shook her head slowly, as if trying to clear her mind. "Raevin…"


	27. Epilogue

Yes, here it is, the epilogue! I'll have another author's note at the end of this chapter.

Disclaimer: I do not own Eidos or Soul Reaver or anything LoK. Damon, Ally, Raevin, Vogel/Kirstunoh, Ectoplasm, and the Aiermunarck-Uyilnarkiah forest tribe are mine. Sareptiah and Wraith (the wolf) belongs to HealerAriel (Erin).

A figure, whose features were hidden by a cloth over the figure's face and a hooded robe about their body, was sitting on the ground in an alley with their back to the wall. In the figure's hands was a bone scroll case, and beside her was a worn haversack.

Raevin carefully opened the scroll case and removed it's contents. As she read the papers, a large black raven perched on her shoulder and began to click it's beak at her. "So…" Raevin murmured, pulling the bandana down from her mouth. "Sareptiah got her hearing back. She was also turned into a fledgling by Raziel, with her permission. She is also with child," She grinned and glanced at the raven. "and Raziel is the father.. Somehow that doesn't surprise me." Raevin chuckled.

Vogel squawked and tugged at a few feathers with his beak. "May not liking blood-suckers, but Razielim best clan in Nosgoth!"

Raevin grinned. "Tell them the Nameless One says congratulations."

"Not say Raevin?"

"No, Raevin isn't here anymore."

Vogel almost seemed to look depressed. His feathers drooped and he hung his head.

"You can call me Raevin if you want. But not too often, okay?" Raevin said quickly, feeling guilty and sad all of a sudden.

"Deal done."

"That's 'done deal', Vogel."

The raven just clicked his beak at her.

Raevin shook her head and continued reading. "Let's see… 'The grave is still being guarded, but no one can see Ectoplasm anymore. Whenever someone approaches the grave with ill intentions, they are thrown back by an unknown force. Sometimes even killed…' I'm going to talk to that horse. What makes him do that?"

Vogel just stared at her accusingly.

"Alright, alright, I know I probably shouldn't have left, but I couldn't stay and remain sane! She's everywhere…" Raevin reached up and clutched the medallion hanging from around her neck. The object had given her some strange powers; she could climb like a spider (sometimes), run faster than a horse, smell blood of any kind for five miles in any direction (and distinguish between animal, vampire, human, or something else), see in the dark, hear the slightest noise, and could lift as much as any vampire. Raevin had come to the conclusion that Ally had passed some of the powers she had once possessed to Raevin. But she could never recall Ally ever climbing walls…

"What else, what else…" Raevin scanned the scrolls quickly, looking for anything interesting. "Here we go! 'Anna and Charles are well and alive. They are living in a guarded city near the Abyss. The city's fortifications protect the people from any and all vampires, and supplies are escorted into the village by a Sarafan army.' It's good to know they are well." Raevin yawned and stretched, revealing the backs of her hands and the dorsal sides of her arms. There were horrible scars there, as if she had extra appendages that had been violently ripped out. "Unlike you, my friend, I need rest. Take the scroll case back with you, and tell ONLY Ectoplasm that I will be around to see him.

"Deal done!"

Raevin shook her head again as Vogel flew off, his feet holding the scroll case tightly. She stood up, stretched a second time, and pulled the bandana up to cover everything from her nose down. Raevin tucked the scrolls into the haversack, then slung it over her shoulder. She took one look around, and walked away.

Balance had not yet been restored, and she knew she wouldn't be the one to bring it about. Until she could help, however, she could only watch and wait, and prepare herself to be ready when she could help again.

This is the end of the first part! These last couple of chapters have a hidden message; they basically tell the story of what happened between my ex and I. Except, she didn't die.

If everything goes right, the next part will be happier! If… and yes, I cried when I wrote that last chapter. I debated a lot between keeping Ally alive or killing her off. Sadly, choice B won. It'll be a while before the second part comes out. I'm going to re-beat LoK:SR1 and base the second part on that. I'll even make a third if I can get a PS2 and LoK:SR2.

See you all next time! I might even use Sareptiah in part 2! (And what would Sareptiah be without Wraith?)


End file.
